“Figure Drawings of the Two Arts and the Three Modes” (Nikyoku santai ningyōzu, 1421) opens with a section called “A Way to the Flower Attained” and supplements that text with sketches illustrating the primary characteristics of the three modes of dramatic imitation that Zeami developed in the middle period (around 1420) of his thinking about performance. The title refers to “two arts” (song and dance) and “three modes” (the portrayal of old men, women, and warriors). In his discussion on each of these modes, Zeami remarks on the mode itself and the form of dance or movement that characteristically accompanies it. He goes on to identify applications of the “three modes”. In this discussion, Zeami presents two extensions of the warrior mode, the demon with a human heart and the demon with a demonic heart. He also describes the unique role of the Heavenly Maiden.
Near the end of Figure Drawings of the Two Arts and the Three Modes, Zeami uses onomatopoetic mnemonic notations to describe the footwork of an actor performing “Sparring in the Style of Intricate Movement”. It is as puzzling as it is fascinating. The sketches reproduced here are taken from Zenchiku’s handwritten copy of the text and are presumed to closely reflect originals by Zeami.
Contributor: Thomas Hare