This blue Japanese oni mask was probably used during festivals. The oni has gold horns and fangs, as well as black hair with thick, flaring eyebrows and a mustache and goatee. It has glaring gold eyes and red accents. It is worn by using the attached elastic band. In Japanese tradition, the northeast is thought of as the oni's direction, so an oni mask might be hung in a northeast-facing doorway for good luck.
Oni, a kind of yokai (supernatural creature) from Japanese folklore, are considered to be creatures similar to demons, ogres, and trolls. Oni are very often represented in visual art, literature, theater, and popular culture in Japan. Oni may take varying forms, but fairly consistently are large and grotesque creatures with claws and horns. They have human-like bodies but are often red or blue and may have extra eyes or fingers. They are usually shown wearing loincloths and carrying clubs (their weapon of choice). Oni are known for being exceptionally strong.
