Concept
Noh Theatre
Arts, Music & Media
Culture & IdentityWhat is Noh theatre?
Noh is a form of Japanese theatre that originated during the shogunate periods and remains one of the oldest surviving theatre traditions in the world. In Archetype.1, it is the artistic tradition where the Hannya mask was created and performed, exclusively for the nobility and the samurai class.
In short
Archetype.1 introduces Noh theatre as the tradition where Hannya masks originated during the Tokugawa Shogunate (Edo Period, 1603-1867). The article describes it as a very exclusive art form accessible only to the nobility and the samurai class, and notes that Noh continues to be performed today, maintaining many of the same traditions and techniques developed during the shogunate periods. Characters wearing Hannya masks in Noh plays portrayed women who had been abandoned, displaced, forced into unwanted marriages, separated from their children or denied their dignity.
Key facts
- When did Noh theatre develop?
- The Hannya masks originated in the Noh theatre traditions during the Tokugawa Shogunate (Edo Period, 1603-1867), the last shogunate in feudal Japan.
- Who had access to Noh performances?
- Noh was a very exclusive art form that was only accessible to the nobility and the samurai class.
- Is Noh still performed?
- Yes. The article notes that Noh continues to be performed today, maintaining many of the same traditions and techniques, making it one of the oldest surviving theatre traditions in the world.
What is Noh theatre?
Noh is a classical form of Japanese theatre with slow, ritualized movement, masked performers and a repertoire drawn from mythology, history and supernatural tales. It developed under the patronage of the warrior class during Japan's feudal period and is still performed. This general description comes from outside the article and is marked for the author's verification.
How does Noh theatre appear in Archetype.1?
In Archetype.1, Noh theatre is the setting where the Hannya mask came to life. The article explains that it was during the Tokugawa Shogunate that the Hannya masks originated in the Noh theatre traditions, and that Noh was a very exclusive art form accessible only to the nobility and the samurai class. The edition uses Noh plays as evidence that the mask's symbolism carried a deep heritage of the patriarchal oppression women faced, because characters wearing Hannya masks often portrayed women subjected to abandonment, displacement and denial of basic rights.
Source editions
Where this entry comes from in the Agency editorial.
Also from these editions: concepts
Also from these editions: terms
Related terms
- samurainoun
- A member of the warrior class of feudal Japan, bound by codes of loyalty and honour, who served under the shogunate system. In the article, the samurai class is one of the two groups with access to Noh theatre.
- shogunatenoun
- A feudal military dictatorship in Japan, headed by a shogun, in which loyalty and honour were central to its operation. The system was exclusive to Japan and did not exist in other Asian nations.