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Commentary
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A mask representing the aged, yet beautiful face of the hundred-year-old poetess, Ono no Komachi. Despite sunken cheeks, the smooth face bears a quiet sobriety seen in the downcast eyes, well-formed eyebrow bones, gently open mouth, and light gray coloring. A few loose strands of the black and white hair fall across the cheeks and broad forehead, but the haunting beauty of Komachi's young days remains evident. The Hōshō school records that rōjo is intended as a mask for the play Sekidera Komachi (Komachi at Sekidera), but it can also be used for other plays about Komachi when she was old, such as Ōmu Komachi (Komachi and the Parrot) and Sotowa Komachi (Komachi and a Stupa). The mask type is attributed to the 15th century carver Himi Munetada, (see jissaku) and is used by all five schools of noh. A few rōjo masks have sharp, triangular cheekbones like those of yaseonna and/or wrinkles and slit eyes like uba.[MB]
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