Kyōgen

Kyōgen (‘wild words’) are short comic plays that often appear as interludes between the acts of a nō play or between two plays. The plots are derived from folk tales or deal with daily life, and as such the use of masks is limited. About 20 different types of kyōgen masks are known today. Most of these depict non-human characters including demons, deities, ghosts and the spirits of animals and plants. The exaggerated features of kyōgen masks are intended to elicit laughter and create an immediate rapport between the audience and the character portrayed.

Kyōgen costume was influenced by the everyday garments of ordinary people, comprising plain silks and hemp decorated with repeated designs. They are noteworthy for the various dyeing techniques employed in their manufacture. The patterns on the textiles often differentiated kyōgen characters. Striking, colourful designs produced by repeat-stencil dyeing techniques, mainly on hemp, are used for military aristocracy, wealthy commoners or bridegroom roles. Smaller, more muted patterns are found on garments for stolid characters such as farmers or fathers-in-law.

Questions and activities

• Draw the costumes shown here as if they are being worn in a play. How would they drape? What parts would hang down or be seen differently to the way they are displayed? Design animal spirit masks to go with these costumes. What animals will you choose?

• Create a design based on nature as a stencil and print your design on paper or fabric. Experiment with repeating and overlapping your design and try different colours. What is the impact of this repetition?