Q: Purchased at a garage sale with a mask from the Congo. Is it made with horsehair and wood? Help! Melissa,1401 A: This quickly-made mask of carved wood and horsehair makes me think of the Grebo, Guere and We people living around that area of West Africa. It was made to sell to tourists or an exporter. It would be appropriate for a beginner’s collection of African traditional art. Call it a repro of a Liberian mask. C
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Rare chimpanzee mask from the Tyrol
Q: I’ve had this mask for 10 years, and paid approx. $80 at an online auction. I’ts a Fasnacht mask from the Tyrol region of Austria. I liked the expressive carving and the hinged jaw. Not sure of it’s age, but I thought I would share it with you since it’s unusual, and I haven’t seen any similar masks online. Dan, 1400 A: This carved wood carnival mask is obviously from the Tyrol. That means it could be used in Austria, South Germany, Eastern Switzerland or Northern Italy at “Fasnacht” to chase away winter. I can see it mixed in with those crazy Krampus characters. But it is very rare.…
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Old, used Urhobo mask, Nigeria
Q: I found this mask at a thrift store. Can you tell me anything about it? Mike, 1399 (no email address)A: This appears to be a museum quality mask, not a fake. I have shown it to several dealers and collectors, all of whom have different opinions. Now it is published on the Mask Man blog and I am waiting for your opinion. After we hear from you I’ll make a decision and post a comment for all to see. Then something nice will be sent to the winner. 🙂
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Ogoni masks from Nigeria
Q: Because of a heavy depression I started to make masks on a very basic level. The mask in attachment really interests me but I have no clue on where to position it. I was thinking Ogoni but I can’t retrace it there. Bart, 1398 A: Unfortunately your photo is low resolution, so I picked a sharper example. This beautiful black & white Ogoni has the separated-to-move lower jaw, the snub nose, diamond-shaped lips, coiffure with side parting and piercing around the rim that we’ve come to expect from the Ogoni culture. Your yellow mask is also pictured. Do you actually carve and paint tribal masks? Could you send…
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Entertaining Mexican mask by Candelario
One of the most creative (and busy) mask makers is Herminio Candelario who lives in Suchitlan, Colima. This mask could be a coyote or a dog. Animals are used in the dance of the Morenos in which they are scaring away the Roman Centurions who are guarding Christ’s tomb. Don Herminio has been improving village dances for many years with his always-different carvings. What doesn’t get used for that purpose is sold to tourists. Collectors call the leftovers “decoratives,” which they disdain. Not me. Unused decoratives are in beautiful condition and I often add them to my Mexican mask collection. Do you like this as much as an old, used…
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9 Mahakalas on 1 plaque
Q: Here are some pictures and info about a wood mask. I bought it at an estate sale in Maine a week ago. The mask is light in weight. Has a red wax seal on back. Mask measures 20 inches high X 13 inches width X 6 inches depth. Can you give me some info on it? Joel, 1396 A: This is a decorative wall hanging from Nepal. The use of Mahakala masks and the red wax seal tell us where it was made. The Indians south of Nepal use 10-headed masks of King Ravana for their Chau dances, but I’ve not heard of 9 Mahakalas. I believe this unusual…
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Ecuadorian monkey mask
Q: Thanks so much for the write up about my mask. I don’t know anything about this subject, so it is so cool to learn more about it! Here are the attached photos of the other two masks I found at Goodwill. One looks like an elephant and isn’t nearly as detailed as the other. The other one looks to me like a monkey, and now that I am looking at it I think it might be some sort of plaster, not wood. Kelley, 1395 A: I don’t normally do a second mask from the same person. Summer is slow and this monkey mask is nicely done in a traditional…
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“Mexican” Guatemalan dance mask
Q: I found this mask at a Goodwill for $7.99 along with two other similar wooden masks, though this one is the most interesting to me. It is carved wood and looks like it has glass eyes. It looks like there might have been fake eyelashes attached at one point, but they are gone now. The teeth look like they have some sort of plastic covering over them. It is roughly 9 inches long and 7 inches wide. It has the initials J.T.S. on the back. Kelley, 1394 A: The Mask Man is so happy when someone finds a desirable masks. It doesn’t happen very often! This is a “Mexican”…
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A mask that changed the art world
Here is a wonderful Fang Ngil mask from North Gabon that is just like the one Picasso collected in the late 19th century. The scan is high-res, so make it as big as you want. This is the piece of African sculpture that began the great change in Western modern art. I couldn’t find a side view which would show the long, concave curve of the nose. What a shock this piece of abstract sculpture was to European painters! People who are attracted to mask collecting usually have a strong interest in either art or anthropology. Of course, I fall into the former category. Which way are you? The Mask…
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Cajun Marti Grass mask
Cajuns live in the largely self-contained communities in the bayou areas in southern Louisiana. They are descendants of French Canadians, who speak French. Unlike the people of New Orleans, their celebration of the Lenten Marti Gras is done in home-made masks and costumes that resemble nothing else I’ve ever seen. They don’t look like the masks and costumes used in New Orleans. Romanian masks (below) come the closest. With the exception of Halloween, masquerade is not used in most modern American celebrations.
