National Treasures & Important Cultural Properties
of National Institutes for Cultural Heritage, Japan

This koomote (literally small mask) is a Noh mask representing a young woman and is believed to be one of the earliest young female masks and one of the best used by the Konparu school. The beautiful facial expression has gained it the greatest popularity among Noh masks. The character "sho (small)" does not simply mean "small," but also "young" or "cute." The mask features a natural, orderly flow of hair, which also symbolizes youth. This mask has a shape typical of koomote and demonstrates a careful finish including the back.