The terra-cotta masks occasionally discovered in Greek tombs, which vary in scale and hardly ever attain life size, appear to have been hung up against the walls in the interior of the tomb. Most of them represent a female face which has been taken as intended for Persephone, the goddess of the lower world, and in that case the mask may have been meant to propitiate her.
Masks are said to have been introduced into Japan from China about the 7th or 8th century, probably in connection with Buddhism, and exist there in a greater variety of definite forms than in any other country in the world. The best known and largest number are used in the NO, a form of drama which originated in Japan at the beginning of the 14th century and was inspired by Buddhist priests of the Zen sect and the pleasure loving Shogun Yoshimasa (see NO DRAMA). One of the oldest masked dances, is the sambasso, said to have originated in a re ligious performance which took place at Nara in 807 to stop the progress of fissures which suddenly opened in the earth.
Masked dances imported from China existed in the Japanese court from early times under the general name of Bu-gaku, or court dances. They were executed in the palace or temples; the performers were court nobles. The music, imported from China, was highly complicated and the masks of very large size. These dances, which were revived at the beginning of the 19th century, may be regarded as the progenitors of the NO. There are some 25o NO plays, the same masks, of which there are over 10o named varieties, often being used in a number of different plays. Human beings, men and women, gods, demons and animals are represented. The more ancient, dating from the 12th and 13th centuries, have hard, strong features and remarkably large noses. Only the prin cipal performers are masked. The actors are all professional, and as there are no women among them the female parts are taken by men.
The material of the NO masks is wood, with a coating of plaster which is lacquered and gilded. The name is generally written inside, often in red. Many bear the name of the carver and fine old specimens are highly valued. In addition to the NO masks and others of a ritual character, there are a variety of masks used as toys by children, some of the latter, like the fox mask, emanat ing from shrines where they are sold at festivals. A defensive
mask of wrought iron was attached to the helmet. This served not only as a defence, like the visor on the European helmet, but was made fierce in aspect in order to terrify the enemy. Such use of masks, as for example the Gorgon or Medusa's head, occurs in classical antiquity. Masks were used for this purpose in the decoration of shields, such as the Chinese basket-shield bearing the head of a red-faced monster with long, gleaming teeth, a device which has been traced from China to the Dyaks in Borneo.
In Tibet were the sacred dramas illustrating the former births of Buddha, and similar events are performed by lay actors; a mystery play with manifestations of gods and demons by awe-inspiring masks is performed exclusively by the priests or Lamas at fixed seasons of the year. This play appears to have been a devil-dancing cult for exorcising malignant demons which was given a Buddhistic dress and is still called the "Dance of the Red Tiger Devil," a deity of the Bon or pre-Buddhistic religions of Tibet. The masks used in this play in Tibet are made of papier mache and cloth and occasionally of gilt copper. In Sikhim and Bhotan, where wood is abundant and the damp climate destructive, they are carved of durable wood, in all cases fantastically painted, and provided with a wig of yak-tail of different colours. Waddell classes them in five groups: (I) the king of the ogres, with a hideous mask of huge size with projecting tusks and three eyes; (2) the ten awful ogres and ten ogresses, with a variety of animal masks, bull, tiger, lion, roc or garuda, monkey, stag and yak; (3) the ghouls with skull masks and clothes representing skeletons; (4) the earth-master-demons with large hideous masks but only one pair of eyes, as representing their subordinate position; (5) the teachers who represented the early Indian priests who brought Buddhism to Tibet, the buffoons or jesters of the play. They wear small cloth masks of ordinary size and of white clay or black colour. With them are included a personator of Hiuen Tsang, the famous Chinese Buddhist monk of the 8th century, who wears a huge silly-looking mask.