Black Half Mask 'Kuromen'
Samurai menpo half mask in glossy black latex with a bared grin of white teeth, four fangs and a leaf-veined nose, covering the lower face.
Black Half Mask 'Kuromen'
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The short answer
Half-face samurai mask in a flexible latex painted glossy black, with a bared grin of white teeth, four long fangs, a leaf-veined nose guard and scrolled cheeks, leaving the eyes clear, with an elastic strap. One size, adult.
Fabric & care
The composition is stated in the description and printed on the inner label. Machine wash cold, inside out, with similar colours. Hang to dry. Iron on low, inside out over prints or embroidery.
Shipping & returns
Shipping is free on every order, with no minimum. Duties and import taxes are prepaid at checkout. Orders leave in 1 to 3 business days and take 6 to 12 business days on average; a tracking number is emailed on dispatch.
You may return any item within 30 days of delivery for a full refund. Write to contact@yonaku.com and we email you a prepaid label.
What we sell, and what we don't
Japanese designs, made in Asia. Cotton, linen or polyester as stated on each piece, never silk. We name every garment for what it is: a kimono jacket is not a haori, an unlined kimono is not a yukata.
- Free shippingEvery order, no minimum
- Duties prepaidNothing to pay on delivery
- TrackedNumber emailed on dispatch
- 30-day returnsFree, prepaid label
- Sizing helpRuns small: take the larger size
- A person repliesText or email, no bots
About this piece
Black samurai half mask with a fanged grin, bared teeth and a glossy finish
The samurai's grin, in black. This menpo is the half mask of the armour, cast in a flexible latex and painted a glossy black, with a bared grin of white teeth, four long fangs curving past the jaw, a nose guard veined like a leaf and scrolled cheeks, and it leaves the eyes and brow clear. In black the face guard reads as lacquer, which is what the fine ones were finished in.
It is the version for a person who wears black and wants the teeth to be the only light thing on the mask.
The name, Kuromen, is the black face, and the mask is one.
The mask is cast in a flexible latex, painted by hand and sealed, with the teeth and fangs cast in and painted bone white, and the inside plain. It covers the face from below the eyes to under the chin, leaving the eyes and the brow clear, and it fastens with an elastic strap round the back of the head.
Wear it strapped, with the eyes clear above it, which is how the samurai wore the iron one under a helmet, and how it is worn now at a festival, a party or on a motorbike. It goes with the black clothes in the range and with the samurai helmet ring, and it is the mask in the collection that leaves your eyes to do the talking.
The gloss is the detail: the black is finished high so the leaf veins on the nose and the scrolls on the cheeks show as reflections rather than colour, and the white teeth and fangs stand off it. The four fangs are the same length as on the silver and the green.
Hung on a wall it is a face in the room, and that is how most of them end up: on a nail by the door, over a desk, in a hallway where a guest meets it first. It is photographed at the same scale as every mask in the collection, so the pages compare.
Wipe with a soft dry cloth; keep latex out of the sun and away from heat, which stiffen it, and store it flat.
From across a room it is a black grin with white teeth. From close the gloss shows its depth, the fangs their length, and the nose its veins. It is the mask for an all-black outfit and a person who wants the lacquered version.
One size, adult. The mask covers from the cheekbones to below the chin and the strap adjusts.
Questions about the japanese masks
Which masks can be worn and which are for the wall?
The hannya, fox, cat, tengu, hyottoko, Noh, samurai half masks, the ninja mask and the armoured mask all have straps and are worn. The six unpainted wooden masks are carved to hang; they have cord holes, not straps.
What are they made of?
Hannya: painted resin. Fox and cat: hand-painted PVC. Samurai half masks: painted latex. Wooden masks: a single block of pale wood, unpainted. The others are moulded and painted. The fabric line on each page says which.
Are they made in Japan?
No. They are a Japanese design, made in Asia. We say so on every page.
What size are they?
One size, adult; the fox and hyottoko masks fit a teenager too. Straps adjust. The large wooden folk mask is bigger than a face; every mask is photographed at the same scale, so the pages compare.
What is the difference between a hannya and an oni?
A hannya is the Noh mask of a woman turned demon by jealousy, with horns, gold eyes and a mouth that does not close; its colour, red, green or blue, marks how far she has gone. An oni is the mountain demon of folklore, and the wooden one here is that.
How do I look after them?
Wipe with a soft dry cloth. Keep resin, PVC and latex out of a hot car and direct sun. Dust the wooden masks with a brush and keep them away from radiators and damp.
What we sell, and what we don't
Japanese designs, made in Asia. Cotton, linen or polyester as stated on each piece, never silk. We say so on every page, because the alternative is selling you a word instead of a garment.
On the record
| Piece | Black Half Mask 'Kuromen' |
|---|---|
| Chapter | 小物Accessories |
| Collection | Japanese Masks |
| Fabric | Hand-painted latex, elastic strap |
| Sizes | One size |
| Made | Japanese design, made in Asia |
| Reference | YONA-0615 |
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