能面(面＝おもて)は、能を演じる際に主にシテ方が顔につけます。

古くは能面が宗教的意味を持っていたので、宗教的意味がない場合は仮面を原則としてつけず、また祭具としして使用された能面は焼くか流すのが原則だったのではないかと考えられています。

能の発展と共に、能面にも形式や約束事が多く用いられるようになり、眼の色、面の色、眉や口の形、骨格などに多くの情報が組み込まれ、写実と抽象の兼ね合った幽玄な美的表現を強く表すようになります。

室町時代末期には今日の能面の基本的なものはすべて完成し、また世襲の面打の家も生まれました。江戸時代になると、多種多様な面の中で優れたものを「模作」し、新たな工夫が施されるようにもなります。

実際に舞台で使用されている能面は、同じ種類の能面であっても、時代や作者の違い、舞台での使用頻度などにより、それぞれに表情や性格があり、同じものは一つとして存在しません。

基本型は60種類位、今日では200数十種類が存在すると言われています。

大きく分類すると、翁系の面、老人の面、鬼神の面、女面、怨霊の面、男面の六種類に分類する事ができますが、研究者により分類方法には若干の違いが存在します。

また実際に使用する際には、能面の分類が絶対的なものではなく、各々の能面の持つ顔立ち・品格・雰囲気や演目との相性、衣装との相性など総体的な判断を演者が行い決定します。

なお、能面をつけず素顔の場合を「直面（ひためん）」といいますが、この場合も表情で喜怒哀楽を表現する事はなく、能役者の顔そのものが「面」となります。

Noh masks, called “Omote” in Japanese, are worn by the Shite role when Noh is performed.

In the olden days, Noh masks carried a religious meaning so people didn’t wear them in situations which didn’t have religious meaning. Also, it is said that it was fundamental for the Noh masks that were used as rituals equipment to be burned down or flown into the river.

As the Noh developed, many forms or rules were added to the Noh masks and a lot of symbolism was put into in the color of the eyes, the color of the masks, the shape of the eyebrows or mouth and the bone structure, then they started strongly expressing the profound expression of beauty which balances the realism and abstract.

By the end of the Muromachi era (15th century), the basics of today’s Noh masks had been all completed, and the hereditary mask artisans were born. In the Edo Era (17th to 18th century), the artisans would emulate the outstanding mask out of many varieties and a lot of thought was put into it.

The actual Noh masks that are used on the stage, even if they are put into the same category, have different facial expressions and characters in each depending on the difference of the era or the playwright, or the frequency of usage on the stage, and thus there isn’t even a single same pair.

Today, it is said that there exists about 60 basic types and two hundred and some tens of Noh masks.

When classifying them, even though they could be categorized into six types such as the masks of the Okina group, old man, demon, women, vengeful ghost and men, there is a slight difference in the way of categorizing depending on the researcher.

In addition, when the masks are actually used, the classification is not absolute and the actor decides the overall judgment such as the facial features, dignity, impression, the compatibility to the play and the compatibility to the costume each mask has.

Furthermore, it is called “Hitamen” when the actor performs without the Noh mask, instead with his real face. The actors don’t express emotions with their facial expressions in this case as well, and therefore Noh actors’ faces themselves will become the “masks.”