Q: These masks always hung on my grandfather’s office wall. I have had them hanging or boxed since I got them around 1985. I thought i was told they were Mexican and that my grandparents bought them there, but after looking at your website I wonder about them being unpainted. The one with numbers looks like auction lot notes. I have photos of back, front sides and the close ups of the ones with writing. I am so curious! Elizabeth, 799 A: I am partial to Mexican masks, so your collection of five old Devil masks from Patzcuaro, Michoacan, excited me.
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West African mask from somewhere
Q: I recently purchased this wooden mast at auction because I found it quite striking. The mask is 24″ tall and was described as an old Songye Congo carved wooden Kifwebe mask with an unusual animal crest. I would greatly appreciate your opinion of the mask and it’s description. Jason, 798 A: It is not a Songye Kifwebe mask. Nor does it resemble the work done by any of the various tribes occupying the Congo basin. The best I can tell you is that it probably was made somewhere in West Africa. It looks old and used, but almost all of the African masks we see on the market have…
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Classic Guatemalan mask
Most traditional masks from this little Central American country have four eye holes– two with glass eyeballs staring out of them, and the other two for the dancer to look out of. These masks also appear to have been carved by artists trained in the academic style of the Spanish Renaissance. The folk art of Guatemala’s indigenous people dates back hundreds of years to the conquest and beyond. Some of their dances are rooted in traditions brought from Spanish religious celebrations. Then there are those of Mayan tradition where animal masks are often used in dances like “Toritos” (the Little Bulls), or “El Venado” (the Deer).
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African mask with moving mouth
Q: I bought this mask on a car boot sale simply because I liked it and found it very interesting. I have tried to find out a bit about it with not much luck. Could this be an African maiden mask? I would appreciate any information you can give me. Jude, 796 A: This is an Elu mask with hinged jaw from the Ogoni people of southern Nigeria, Africa’s most populated country.
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Ticuna Indian ceremonial mask
Q: Around 35 years ago, I used to live in San Francisco. I was very friendly with the senior management at Macy’s Department Stores. I had their top designer come out to my house to determine decorations….He told me that Macy’s SF had a South American exhibit in their downtown location…part of the exhibit were these masks from a museum in Ecuador…when the exhibit was over, the museum would not pay to have much of the exhibit returned, which included these masks. Not knowing what to do with them, their designer decided to use them in my house for a part of the fee they charged me…he told me they…
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Classic Javanese dance mask
Q: We got these at a garage sale. I presume they’re Indonesian – Javanese? I have cheekily submitted the two, because they’re so much a pair. They are too small to be actual costume masks I think. Unless worn by children. Any thoughts? Jessica, 795 A: Javanese dance masks sometimes look small to American and European collectors because we tend to be larger than the Indonesians. I don’t think it is for children. This particular mask could be Raja Putri or some other high ranking member of the court in the classic
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Wolf man mask from Mexico
Q: We found this mask in an old abandoned house in the Utah desert. Do you have any idea what it is or how old it might be? We don’t collect masks but like looking for cool things. James, 793 A: Shiny, sheet-metal masks are very popular in Taxco, Guerrero where thousands of tourists come every day for decor items, sliver and jewelry.
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Big mask with little snakes
Q: I cannot remember if I sent you the picture of this huge, Mexican (I think) mask. Attached is a photo with me. It has several holes on each side that could hold it to a man’s head. Jim, 792 A: This “mask” is very big, as everyone can tell by looking at you trying to hold it. Frankly, I have never heard of Mexican’s wearing masks this large at a festival. And there are no eye holes. I think it might have been ordered by a shop keeper or restaurant owner who wanted to attract tourists with an attention-getting carving to hang on the wall.
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Hawaiian warrior’s mask
Q: The Hawaiian mask and rattle are a rare find, although obviously made in the last few years. I’ve been to Hawaii many times and never seen an authentic gourd war mask for sale. Aaron, 791 A: We are fortunate that Aaron shares his recent mask purchases with us. This is a very realistic reproduction of a Polynesian warrior’s helmet mask made out of gourd.
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Female Kifwebe mask from the Songye
Q: I found this with a collection of 30 or so other masks at a yard sale. The seller said they were “very old” and had come from Sudan. Some of the other masks have a distinct smoke odor (but not this mask). Measures approximately 16.5″ x 13″ x 7″ Rebecca, 790 A: The grooved pattern on the face of the mask is a common characteristic of a female Kifwebe mask from the Songye tribe of the Democratic Republic of Congo.
