Masked - Fukumen

A mask is a garment worn to protect against the cold when going out and to hide one's face from others. In a broad sense, various masks have been worn over the years. The oldest known in Japan is the osui, a garment that completely covers the head. Examples include the kato, worn by warrior monks in the Heian period, in which they covered their heads with a kesa or other garment, leaving only the eyes exposed; the mushi tareginu, worn by women's hats with cloth sewn onto them, and the kosode-style katsugi, worn since the Muromachi period. Examples of masked hats include the ichimegasa, which is medium-high and has a wide brim; the ichimonjigasa, which has a single line at the top; and the ninjagasa, worn by men who visit red-light districts out of sight of others. Mainly women from upper-class families wore masks when going out, but in the early modern period, masked hoods became more common. Furoshiki hoods, Mebakari hoods, Sojuro hoods, Yamaoka hoods, and other ingenious hoods became popular in the manners of the public. However, hiding the face makes it difficult to distinguish between good people and bad people, and makes it difficult to crack down on crime, so bans on wearing masks have been issued many times.

Another type of mask is worn to cover the nose and mouth to prevent breathing on them when purification is required, such as when making offerings to the gods and Buddhas.

[Fumio Inagaki]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

外出時の防寒用として、また人に顔を見られぬように顔面を覆い包むもの。広義にとらえれば、時代の変遷によりさまざまな覆面をみる。日本最古のものとしては、布で頭をすっぽり包む淤須比(おすい)が知られる。平安時代、僧兵が目だけを残して袈裟(けさ)などで頭を覆った裹頭(かとう)、鎌倉時代の女笠(かさ)に布を縫い付けて垂らした枲(むし)の垂衣(たれぎぬ)、室町時代以来の小袖(こそで)形の被衣(かつぎ)などがある。覆面笠としては、中高で縁(ふち)が広く張る市女笠(いちめがさ)、頂(いただき)が一文字になる一文字笠、人目を忍んで遊里に通う男子の忍び笠がある。主として上流家庭の婦女は外出時に覆面をしたが、近世になると覆面頭巾(ずきん)が多数みられる。風呂敷(ふろしき)頭巾、目計(めばかり)頭巾、宗十郎頭巾、山岡(やまおか)頭巾など、くふうが凝らされて風俗上の流行をみた。しかし顔を隠すことは善人と悪人の区別がつけにくく、犯罪上の取締りが困難なため、再三にわたり覆面禁止令が出されている。

　ほかに、神仏の供養など清浄を必要とするときに、息を吹きかけぬよう鼻や口を覆うのも覆面の類(たぐい)である。

［稲垣史生］

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