Kabuki Kumadori Mask Wall Plaque with Hidden Shunga Relief, Painted Clay on Shaped Wooden Board
Kabuki Kumadori Mask Wall Plaque with Hidden Shunga Relief, Painted Clay on Shaped Wooden Board
- Dispatch
- Prepared and sent from Tokyo within 7–14 days, often sooner, or as arranged
- Arrival
- United States · usually 4–7 days after dispatch, insured and tracked Check the Shipping Flowchart here
- Import
Duties and customs · View the estimate
A guide for this piece: about $36, based on the 10% US charge on the declared value of goods made in Japan.
The final figure is set by US Customs and depends on where the piece was made and the kind of object it is. Many antiques over a century old carry no ordinary duty; most jewellery and leather goods add a single-digit rate.
With EMS, any charge is collected by your postal service on delivery. For pieces of significant value we can often arrange duties prepaid before dispatch.
How the estimate is reached · Ask for a figure on this piece
- Character
- Ornate 7.4 of 10 ·
- Replies
- Within one Tokyo business day · Ask the curator team
- Guarantee
- Authenticity guaranteed · How we grade
| Figure | cm | in |
|---|---|---|
| Width | 13.4 cm | 5.3 in |
| Height | 19.0 cm | 7.5 in |
Every piece is measured by hand, in centimetres as Japan measures. Please allow 1–2 cm (about ½ inch) for the give of the material and the hand that held the tape.
Where each figure is taken · View the plate
Object, sculpture and ceramics
Condition report
Very Good
- Giftable
- Mint
- Excellent
- Very Good
- Good
- Honest Wear
- As Found
The Actor Who Keeps a Secret
From the front, a kabuki hero glares in red kumadori lines; turn the board and a small oval window shows what he hides behind his face, a pair of lovers modelled in relief. It is a classic warai-e joke, a laughing picture tucked behind a stern mask.
Best for: Collectors of kabuki folk art and concealed-scene curiosities
Condition notes
No cracks or chips are reported. Light wear and some soiling consistent with age; rubbing to the black lacquer-like paint of the wig and a few small paint losses at the edges of the reverse.
Grades, ratings and commentary are given to the best of our ability, knowledge and experience, and condition remains partly a matter of personal perception. What we stand behind without qualification is authenticity, truthful description and provenance, to the best of our knowledge. How we grade
Couldn't load pickup availability
All sales are final. Please read our refund policy before purchase.
Considered offers only. The Desk replies personally to figures made in good faith; those set far below the asking price receive no reply.
Examined in Tokyo, one price, insured to your door. How buying from Japonista works · Join the Circle, free
A kabuki actor in fierce kumadori make-up glares from a wooden board, and behind him, seen through a small oval window, a pair of lovers keeps his secret.
This piece belongs to the private room of the house and is shown to adults only.
The Piece
The mask is modelled in clay and painted in the bold red and black lines of kumadori, the stage make-up that marks the heroes of aragoto, the rough and valiant style of kabuki. A lacquer-black wig frames the face, and the mask hangs by a rope from a shaped board of straight-grained wood.
Turn the plaque over and the joke appears. An oval opening cut through the board shows the hollow reverse of the mask, painted pale blue, where a man and a woman in patterned kimono are modelled in relief as lovers. It is warai-e, the laughing picture, at its most playful: the stern hero in front, the private scene behind, known only to the owner.
Details
- Subject: Kabuki actor in kumadori make-up, with a concealed relief of lovers
- Genre: Hidden-scene ornament in the warai-e tradition
- Material: Painted clay mask, wooden board, rope hanging cord
- Size: About 19.0 x 13.4 x 3.6 cm (7.5 x 5.3 x 1.4 in)
- Maker: Unsigned; maker not recorded
- Date: Undated
- Made in: Japan
Measured by hand; please allow a gentle margin of about 0.5 cm (0.2 in).
Condition
- No cracks or chips are reported.
- Rubbing to the black paint of the wig and light soiling from age.
- A few small paint losses at the edges of the reverse.
Condition grade B (very good) on the Japanese scale; see Japanese condition ranks, explained.
Authenticity & Care
Offered as a vintage Japanese folk ornament; the maker and date are not recorded. Hang away from direct sun and damp, and handle the clay mask by the board.
Delivery from Japan
The plaque is wrapped in acid-free tissue, boxed as fragile and shipped insured and tracked by EMS or an equivalent express service. Import duties and taxes, where applicable, are payable on arrival. Every sale is final; please ask anything you wish to know before you buy, and see our published policy.
Considered offers are welcome through Send an Offer, and each one is reviewed personally. Further pieces of the kind are kept in Shunga and Hidden Arts and among our Japanese dolls and figures.
Concierge
Looking for another concealed-scene ornament, or a kabuki mask of a particular role? Our Hunting Salon™ searches Japan's private collector circles, then inspects, documents and delivers the find to you. Begin a Hunting Salon™ request.
Collectors also search: kabuki mask hidden scene · kumadori wall plaque · warai-e folk ornament
Chosen for you