Q: I have recently been to Ecuador and I acquired this mask. It is a Payaso mask from a carver friend in a village of Cotopaxi province. It is a copy of a very old mask in another village at the feet of one of the volcanoes there. The villagers asked the carver to make a copy, so he did – he made actually two of them, one also for me, luckily. Honestly, it is one of the best recently made and to-be-worn masks I have ever come across; hard pine wood. And it is the only Payaso with a beard and a heart on the forehead – most other…
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Japanese Bugaku mask
Q: Aaron is kind enough to share his recent acquisitions once again. Here is what he has to say about this exciting Japanese mask… The black mask is indeed Japanese. It’s an old Bugaku mask, called Somakusha. Masks like this predate Noh theatre and were used in Shinto temple ritual dances. Also, unlike Noh, Bugaku masks are not all made of wood. Some are, but others (like this one) are made from kanshitsu, which is a composite made from resin and wood dust, then covered with lacquer. Aaron, 968 A: Traditional masks have always been of great interest to the Japanese. In addition to ritual usage, they are bought to…
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Carnival mask from Veracruz
Wealthy hacienda owners and gringo tourists wearing sunglasses have been portrayed in carnival dances for many years. In the book Masks Arts of Mexico by Lechuga and Sayer a Viejo with sunglasses for the Veracruz carnival is shown on page 22. This particular item is one of 50 Mexican masks being auctioned off on Orange Umber. Most of these beautiful masks have been used in culture or were intended for use. Decorative masks will be auctioned off later. Good news for you: all of the starting bids have been lowered to encourage sales in this buyers market.
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Iroquois corn husk mask
There is a traditional society among many of the Iroquois tribes called the Husk Faces or Bushy Heads. Even today these woven masks are used in ceremonies. Of course, many are made just to sell to tourists. This one was purchased in Canada about 20 years ago, measures 17 inches top to bottom, and is especially well made. Real Native American masks are highly valued by collectors. This one can be seen on page 96 of Masks of the World by Ibold and Yohn.
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Very puzzling
Q: I purchased a mask from a second hand shop in Shrewsbury, UK, last weekend. The mask is wooden but very light and is decorated with engraved lines. Some of the raised sections are highlighted with red, blue and white paint although this is quite well worn. The mask cost £60 and the seller believes it is from the early 1900s but didn’t have any definite information. I love the mask, which is why I bought it, but I would like to know more about its history and I hope that you or one of your readers can help. Christine, 965 A: I too find this mask attractive. Wish I…
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Great Mexican mask being auctioned
Here’s the link to the mask – Raton Mask It will tell you about this wonderful old raton mask. Raton means a male mouse, not a rat. That is why the mask is so cute looking. Another important detail is that it is thinly carved and comfortable to wear, which would make the carver very popular with villagers. 963
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Nice Bwa Mask
Q: Thanks for a great appreciation of the vaquero style mask. A welcome affirmation of what I had hoped. Here are images of what I think is an old African Bwa hombo or forgeron with age and character. You have great website – love it! Arthur, 964 A: I rarely ask someone who sends a mask to us for something else. But I had a hunch you would please us once again. This is an above average Bwa mask, traditional in style and use of the black, red and white paints. The Bwa people are found in Burkina Faso, which is just below Mali in West Africa. Even a generalist…
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Very old Guatemalan mask
Q: I do collect African masks but recently bought a collection of seven which I believe are old Guatemalan. I have two of the smaller – I’m sending images of one. It must have a dozen layers of paint. These 7 masks I’ve just acquired are the most interesting to me at the moment. If you are interested in seeing the other new masks or any of my African collection just let me know! Appreciative of your consideration, Arthur, 962 A: This doesn’t happen to me often enough– a rare old mask that serious collectors would love to own can be pictured on this blog. It could be a vaquero,…
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Animal mask from Nepal
Q: This mask was bought at auction in Ontario, Canada. I don’t know if it is a wolf or a wild boar. I first thought it may be an aboriginal mask from the West Coast of Canada but now I’m wondering if it is Indonesian. There is a small bit of a wax seal remaining which I saw on other Indonesian masks. Not sure if it has much value but I am downsizing and need to get rid of stuff. It definitely looks like it has been around for a long while. Any help would be appreciated. Brenda, 961 A: Actually, it is from Nepal, probably the Middle Hills area.…
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Yao Shaman Mask
Q: I bought this mask in Bangkok at Jj mall. The man said he brought the mask back from China. He mentioned it was a Chinese tribal around 100 years old (unsure of how genuine he was being, but I had my Thai friend there speaking with him). I ended up paying a little over $100 US dollars. Most of his merchandise was more expensive than this. Let me know anything else I can provide to help. Miles, 960 A: Sorry for the bad news… Though it (the 2nd photo) is Chinese tribal, it is a recently made, cheap tourist version of a Yao mask. For comparison I’m also posting…
