• Finely cast Japanese Netsuke Mask
• Appears to be made of pewter with a bronzed coating
• Representing one of the fierce gods - this one likely is an Obeshimi 大べし見
• A mask representing a tengu who protects others from evil spirits and demons. 
• The oldest form of beshimi mask, characteristically the mouth is firmly clenched and metallic gold eyes appear to pop out of the face. 
• While the ōbeshimi has an expression of inner determination, it also has a comical aspect: if ōbeshimi were to unclamp its teeth, it would break into a smile. 
• Ōbeshimi's tense expression creates deep wrinkles on the forehead and forces both ends of the eyebrows to curl upward. 
• Flattened nostrils enlarge the end of the nose. 
• Used for tengu roles in Kurama Tengu, Zegai, Kuruma zō, Dairokuten, and Daie, where it is worn under a shaka mask and therefore called shaka shita. First created by the thirteenth carver Shakazuru Yoshinari. 
• A good standard obeshimi mask is owned by the Mitsui family, Tokyo, and a fine early Muromachi example with smaller eyeballs and rounder face belongs to Nara Zuihiko Shrine.
• Small damage to the upper left of the mask: a small crack and loss of bronze.
• To my knowledge these would have originally come with a small cotton twine in their pupils to hang them on the wall... more often than not these strings are missing. This one has a newer, replacement string.
• A standard push-pin pushed into drywall allows these to easily hang on the wall snug and flat.
• Measures 5.0 x 4.0 cms