Note

Cutting wood
The production of Noh mask is called “hitting the mask”. The mask is made from hinoki wood (Japanese cypress) which is cut in cross grain, so that the form of the mask can be kept for a long time. In the moment of cutting wood the patterns are used to decide the form of mask. First with a saw and then with a chisels the wood is cut and shaped. The central line on the mask is carefully kept to avoid any distortions to the form of mask.