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Antipathy toward the yangban, or nobleman class
during the Chosin period (1392 to 1910) was reflected
in the less than attractive appearance of the
yangban mask.

Expressions of culture

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Star-Bulletin

Korea, land of enchantment and the 38th Parallel, also has a folk-cultural heritage devoted to the art of mask-making.

Masks were used as early as the Silla period (57 B.C. to 935 A.D.) for dances, plays and rituals.

Beginning tomorrow, more than a hundred such masks are taking over the John Young Museum of Art at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. The masks are from the archives of Korean antiquities collector Ryun Namkoong, who has donated other works to the museum as well.

"Transformations: Korean Masks from the Ryun Namkoong Collection" features masks primarily made of carved wood and brightly painted. Each represents an emotion, whether happiness, sadness or ferociousness.

The John Young Museum of Art features other rare art work from Asia, the Pacific and Africa as well, and is located in the rehabilitated Krauss Hall, Room 002, on the university campus.

The exhibit will continue to Dec. 29. The museum is open 1 to 4 p.m. Sundays, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesdays, and noon to 3 p.m. Fridays, although group tours can occur at other times on request. Free. Call 956-5666.

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