The first hood mask is from WW1 and was probably made for civilians. The second photo of three women in new masks is from WW2. Both are British in origin. There are a surprising number of collectors who are fascinated with gas masks. Unusual ones like these are rare, but most gas masks are easy to find and inexpensive. You can find more about them in the Protection section under “Categories.” Bob, 1311
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Moluccans scrimshawed bone mask
Our bone mask from the Moluccas Islands is beautiful with its subtle carving and unusual shape. The Moluccans, located North of Timor and East of Sulawesi, became part of Indonesia in 1950. Wish I could tell you more about this unique mask. Though “Ask the Mask Man” is mostly about telling new owners what they have, I frequently add photos that I find interesting. Then I categories each mask and add it to one of 15 groups which you can easily access. I hope “Categories” has become a useful research tool for some of you collectors.
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Nice West African mask
Q: This African mask measures a total of 14 inches tall by 8 inches wide. I bought it last year at an online auction for about $26.00. I liked its whimsical expression and signs of vintage usage. Do you have any opinions? Thanks again, Diane, 1309 A: You may have scored a real winner. This is a very nice Aduma mask from Gabon. Yes, the blue diamond shape and the single horn are things I’ve never seen before. (Maybe that’s why some other collectors past it over.) It is a classic design that looks like it’s been used a lot. I would suggest that you get it appraised by someone…
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Ancient clay mask
Q: The lady that I got this mask from for ten dollars last year said that she believed it originally came from China. It measures six inches in diameter. It is made of clay, and a friend who did ceramics told me that it was fired at a lower temperature than that of a modern kiln. Thank you for looking. Fred, 1308 A: Perhaps it is an Asian piece, but I think it is more likely from Mexico or further South. That is not based on any expertise. It is just the fact that I see more “ancient” ceramics from the new world than the old. Sadly, most of…
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Jeweled bronze Mahakala
Q: I’m an art teacher and received this mask from my mother in law who had got it for me in an estate sale of someone who was a world traveler and collector of many things on his travels. I think it is Tibetan Buddhist but not sure. Masks aren’t my forte but I wanted to show my students. Annie, 1307 A: It could be Tibetan or Nepalese, but calling it Himalayan is accurate. It is a popular Buddhist god called Mahakala. Many of these masks are made of carved wood or papier mache instead of beautiful bronze embedded with brightly colored glass beads. As you can see on the…
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Boruca monkey mask
Aaron has added several Boruca masks to his wonderful collection. This one looks like a capuchin monkey and is quite unusual. If you are unfamiliar with his website, you should check it out. TITLE: Boruca Diablo-Mono GENERAL REGION: Latin America COUNTRY: Costa Rica SUBREGION: Reserva Rey Curré, Puntarenas ETHNICITY: Boruca DESCRIPTION: Diablo-Mono (Devil-Monkey) Mask MAKER: Hermes Morales, Rey Curré CEREMONY: Fiesta de los Diablitos AGE: 2009 MAIN MATERIAL: balsa wood OTHER MATERIALS: red pigment from achiote berry; black pigment from wood ash; white pigment from kaolin clay The Boruca people mostly inhabit two reservations in the Puntarenas Province of Costa Rica. Technically, many persons classified as Boruca are members of…
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Handheld home-made mask
A few years ago the Mask Man had a party for a few friends. One of the guest came in holding this in front of his face. It sure looked like me. Everybody laughed so I put it on the wall of my office. You can do this easily. Hopefully the face you choose will be better looking. Just take a photo, make a print, glue it to corrugated board and cut it out with an Exacto knife.Try to make the handle a little stronger than the rest.
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Mexican deer mask
Q: I got this deer mask online where it was described as African, however I’m fairly certain it’s Mexican. The main portion is carved wood with attached ears and antlers. The antlers appear to be modified tree branches. I’d like to know your opinion. Dan, 1304 A: You’re right, and I think you picked out a good one. This deer mask is well made and in good condition. Deer characters show up in the dances of several different ethnic groups and locations in Mexico. You should be able to pin this down, but it might take some effort. How much did you pay for it?
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Japanese mask festival
The little Goryo Shrine in Kamakura puts on a small but unique festival where the participants wear masks which are over two centuries old. The festival is held in honor of the enshrined spirit of Kamakura Kagemasa, a famed samurai warrior of the 11th Century popularly known as Gongoro. You will love this video on YouTube. Many different kinds of masks are paraded. I think the one here is an old mask called Menkake Gyoretsu. Enjoy.
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Batak mask from Sumatra
Batak is a collective term used to identify a number of closely related Austronesian ethnic groups predominantly found in North Sumatra, Indonesia who speak Batak languages. The term is used to include the Karo, Pakpak, Simalungun, Toba, Angkola, and Mandailing which are related groups with distinct languages and customs. Well carved masks like this will show up in other parts of Indonesia as well.
