Good Luck with the Hannya Mask Tattoo
The Hannya Mask is one of the most recognized demon masks in Japanese theatre.
With horns protruding from his temples, bulging eyes and a gaping hole of a mouth showing sharp fangs, the Hannya Mask is certainly an imposing figure, and it is not hard to see why he is so popular with traditional Japanese tattooists.
Beginning around the 14th century the Hannya mask was introduced as a theatrical mask to indicate the mood or temperament of the character. The purpose of the Hanna mask was to display a woman who is filled with rage after having been betrayed. Essentially she has become a demon.
The color of the mask indicates the woman’s social standing, with a lighter color indicating aristocracy while red can signify a lower class. Even though the mask is so terrifying in Japan it can be a symbol of good luck and wards off evil spirits.
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