Hannya Mask Shorts
Description: As the legend goes, hannya appeared thanks to a talented Japanese monk who created masks for ritual dances. It depicts the face of a demon with horns and sharp teeth that perfectly match the smile distorted in impotent malice. If you look at the mask from a certain angle, it seems as if the demon is crying hysterically. Hannya represents a woman (being not too feminine in appearance) who is jealous and angry. On the stage of traditional Japanese theater, this mask usually hides female characters who are obsessed with jealousy and turn into real monsters because of it. Samurai often used the hanja (symbol of the fallen angel) as an amulet, guaranteeing protection from the enemy. The oldest surviving mask is more than 450 years old.
Description: SMALL LORE: Hannya are masks used in the Japanese Noh theater as well as used during the shinto ritual of Kagura dances. They represent a metaphor for woman who, under jealousy or obsession, have turned into demons. These masks characterized by two large bull-like horns, metallic eyes and a leering mouth. -------------------------- I made this Hannya illustration as a de-stress method and ended up vectorizing it, so I decided to share it. This Golden/Yellow version goes well with darker colors like Black, Dark blue, Burgundy, Raspberry and Wine Red.
