Mask of an Oni from Anjō-ji

This photograph features a traditional Japanese carved wooden mask representing an oni (demon/ogre), resting on a small purple velvet cushion. The mask is finished in dark, weathered pigments and displays exaggerated, grotesque features including a wide nose, deep-set hollowed-out eyes, and two large, pointed teeth extending upward from the lower jaw. In the blurred background, a second, slightly different oni mask with visible red horns is positioned on another white display pedestal.

These masks are associated with Japanese Buddhist ritual performance and temple traditions, specifically those found at Anjō-ji in Gojo, Nara. Such masks were historically utilized in dramatic or liturgical contexts to manifest wrathful protector figures or demons, reflecting the intersection of local folklore and Buddhist iconography.