Magenta Hannya Mask

紫の般若 (murasaki no hannya): "the purple hannya."

Temples all over Japan seat visitors at low desks to copy the Heart Sutra by brush, one character at a time, a practice called shakyō. The sutra's Japanese title is Hannya Shingyō, and hannya there is the Sanskrit prajñā, wisdom, written in Chinese characters picked for their sound. The demon mask carries the same two characters, so one of the fiercest faces in Noh shares its name with Japan's most copied sutra.

Magenta and gloss black, with ridged black horns and black teeth and fangs. A tan paper tag on the forehead reads 封印 (fūin), "sealed," as if someone had shut the demon away, and a thick black braided cord knots under the chin.

A purple demon won't disappear into a dark corner. It stands out against black walls or gold frames and looks sharp with a dark kimono jacket at a con, and if a friend's wall of hannya and oni masks is all red so far, this is the one to add.

• Type: decorative hannya mask, full face
• Material: resin
• Colors: magenta and gloss black
• Details: ridged black horns, black teeth and fangs, tan seal tag on the forehead
• Cord: thick black braided cord, knotted under the chin
• Use: display, cosplay, costume and photos