Strange face

[Spartancrest]

Can anyone hazard a guess as to who or what this strange man could be? And what the object on the ura might be as well?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Marius]

The object looks like a kiseru case. The man could actually be a woman - Oiwa (from Yotsuya Kaidan). 

 

However, how the kiseru case fits in, I wouldn't know. Unless it is not a case, but something different. Also, the person is bald, while Oiwa is traditionally depicted with hair. although she is clearly loosing it.

 

 

 

[MauroP]

The object depicted in ura could be a Buddhist sceptre (nyoi - 如意), so the bald man could be a monk...

[Marius]

14 minutes ago, MauroP said:

The object depicted in ura could be a Buddhist sceptre (nyoi - 如意), so the bald man could be a monk...

 

I think this is a better explanation, indeed. Now what was the name of this monk who was was so ugly?

[dkirkpatrick]

Perhaps he’s inebriated.  Just an impression i get from looking at his face.

 

Doug

[ROKUJURO]

To me he looks paraplegic, and the object looks similar to a European flail as it has a ring on one end. But probably it is something more Japanese.

[Tanto54]

Scratching my head on this one...  A couple of thoughts and questions:  Is that a bird chirping on the Ura at the end of the "pole"? (can't see clearly)  If so, could this be related to the Tongue Cut Sparrow Story (Shita-Kiri Suzume)?  The "pole" might be a wooden pestle (Nyūbō or Surikogi), and therefore, alluding to the rice starch from the Sparrow Story.   Alternatively  Nyūbō could be some kind of wordplay with the word for priest (but I doubt it...).  

[Bugyotsuji]

Nurari-hyon is a priest with a flexible face.

No 16 here:

https://www.nichibun.ac.jp/YoukaiGazouMenu/column.html

[Spartancrest]

Piers that link has some seriously weird characters!

I have found another guard in the Metropolitan collection.

"The obverse of this tsuba shows the relief of a Hyottoko mask and a broken fan and the reverse a closed fan. Hyotokko is a clown-like Japanese stock character which is potrayed through the use of a mask. He is depicted on this tsuba in the traditional way, i.e. with asymmetrical eyes and wearing a scarf around his head." 

 

Not sure if I agree the object on the ura is a closed fan, once again it looks more like a truncheon? I am inclined to think with the similar layout that the ugly man probably is Hyottoko - The Cleveland Museum from where the original post image came from, has no idea about the theme either. I think I might include Hyottoko in the new book with a big ?