A Fine Old Japanese Tengu Mask from the late 19th Century Signed by Artist 

A Fine Old Japanese Tengu Mask from the late 19th Century, Signed by Artist 

This fine old Tengu Mask from Japan was carved by a master carver and signed in Kenji.

Carved from two pieces of hardwood ( the mask is a single piece & the nose is a separate piece). Once the carving was completed it was covered in red & black lacquerware finish with great effect.  The artist had the ability to make the sculpture feel powerfully alive

The Tengu or “Heavenly Sentinel” is a type of legendary creature found in Japanese folk religion. They are considered a type of yōkai (supernatural beings) or Shinto kami (gods). The tengu was originally thought to take the forms of birds of prey, and they are traditionally depicted with both human and avian characteristics. The earliest Tengu was pictured with beaks, but this feature has often been humanized as an unnaturally long nose, which today is widely considered the Tengu defining characteristic.  They are also thought to be parallel to the Garuda, a legendary bird or bird-like creature in Hindu, and Buddhist mythology, and influenced by Sarutahiko Ōkami, a native Shinto deity.

Provenance: The Todd Barlin Private Collection of Asian and Oceanic Art