ABSTRACT
Many of the masks produced during the Edo period are imitations of those of the previous periods, and with the exception of those by some talented maskmakers-for instance, Kawati, Yamato, Zekan, Yiikan, T6haku, Tosui, Yiisui, Gensuke-are of inferior workmanship. Today the art of mask-making has nearly died out. It is generally agreed that the superior makes of Noh masks, and also the superior frames of the tuzumi (shoulder-drum), will never be produced again. Such being so, masks of good workmanship are expensive, even as curios. Amateurs experience great difficulty in judging the value of masks, and they are unfortunately led too easily to overestimate the value of masks of undoubtedly inferior workmanship.
