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  • Caribbean

    Diablico Sucio carnival mask

    November 1, 2015 / No Comments

    Q: This is a very large mask, made from paper. It has horse teeth and screens where the eye holes are. I think it is Mexican, but do not know where in Mexico it was made. I would like to find out more information about this mask. I do not remember where I bought it. I usually haunt thrift shops and flea markets. Mickey, 852

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    Woven Indian mask from Panama

    February 23, 2020

    Where does this mask come from?

    September 5, 2018

    Boruca mask in need of fix up

    December 27, 2014
  • Africa

    Central African mask with nasty smile

    November 1, 2015 / No Comments

    Q: This was my brother’s, who was a catholic priest and served at least two seasons at a mission school in Kenya around 1970. Kikuyu. He may have been given this mask, along with some other things, when he left there, or he may have bought it. He also traveled around I’m sure. Mask is 13.5 in tall, wood is lightweight and looks to be blackened, maybe with a stain. John, 851 A: Neither the Kikuyu people or other groups in Kenya use masks.

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    Dan racer mask from W. Africa

    October 16, 2017

    Janus head mask from Africa

    February 11, 2020

    Dogon kanaga mask from Mali

    May 26, 2018
  • Africa

    Punu mask from Gabon, West Africa

    October 26, 2015 / 1 Comment

    Q: I have bought this mask on a second-hand market. There was no further information about it, I would be delighted to know where the mask is coming from and whether it is authentic. The mask smells like fire but there are no burn marks to see. There are traces of use, for example, to see on the inside left is a dark spot, it looks like of the face often scoured against that spot. At the 2 holes you see that the rope has left traces there. Yber, 850 A: I apologize for taking so long to answer. We have been working on this website for several weeks.

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    Mask from the Congo

    April 17, 2015

    Puno maiden spirit mask

    January 22, 2019

    Average Fang mask

    August 8, 2017
  • Africa

    A popular mask from Ivory Coast

    October 5, 2015 / No Comments

    Q: We inherited this from my grandfathers estate. It was a gift to him from one of his traveling friends. He died in 1975, so it is older than that. No other info, just curious about it. I grew up calling him “Alfred” and have fond memories of it. Katie, 846 A: If you look at this blog’s “Africa” category, you will see many masks similar to this one. It is a Kpelie mask from the Senufo people of Ivory Coast, West Africa. Its design and decorations can vary considerably.

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    Cheap tourist mask from Africa

    February 23, 2019

    Some Guro masks are profitable art

    May 10, 2017

    Batshioko mask from Zambia

    December 8, 2019
  • Africa

    A famous women’s society mask

    October 3, 2015 / No Comments

    Q: I have two Masks which I inherited and that I would like a quote on for an appraisal. Hopefully you can help me with this. Here is the 1st mask. Thanks, Len, 845 A: I will be glad to appraise your two masks and will respond separately. In the meantime, I want our viewers to see this Sande Women’s Society helmet mask made by the Mende people of Sierra Leone, and used for various rights of passage in that culture.

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    Contemporary African masks are rejected.

    October 8, 2018

    Tourist masks can look good

    December 18, 2014

    Punu crest mask or reliquary head

    November 3, 2016
  • Mexico

    Devil or bird?

    September 28, 2015 / No Comments

    Q: This mask weighs only five ounces. It is around 10-11″ tall and 7″ across the forehead. I acquired it from a long time antique collector/hoarder in Central Alabama. Any assistance you could provide in identification would be most helpful. Kathy, 844 A: From somewhere in Mexico, this strange little guy is quite a character. Unfortunately, it has never been painted. Mexicans like to finish their masks with bright colors. However, they occasionally leave them unpainted for the tourist trade.

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    Reproduction of pre-Columbian Mexican mask

    December 26, 2018

    Embark on a Mask-terful Journey: Oaxaca, the Ultimate Starting Point for Aspiring Mask Collectors!

    May 2, 2022

    Realistic looking decorative

    October 30, 2014
  • Africa

    From somewhere in West Africa

    September 28, 2015 / 2 Comments

    Q: I was wondering what the origins of this particular mask are. A friend of mine acquired it through a house clearance shop but we cannot really tell you anything about where it came from. The hollowed out rear seems to have been burned out, as it is blackened by soot. It is also made of a quite strong smelling wood, possibly to do with age. This specimen is about a foot in total length, from chin to top of the hair. Thank you in advance. Perry, 843 A: This is a black helmet mask that combines many features of various West African cultures.

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    Why are real African masks so hard to find?

    September 10, 2013

    Beautiful religious artifact

    September 24, 2013

    Another African mystery

    February 29, 2016
  • Oceania

    Rough, old Timorese mask

    September 25, 2015 / 1 Comment

    Q: I acquired this mask on eBay. The seller told me it had been collected from an abandoned hut in East Timor and was circa 1800. That sounded a little romantic to me but it certainly looks very old and has a great character. Does it look Timorese to you? Mark, 842 A: Submitting two Mystery Masks in a row is something I try to avoid, but I must make an exception here.

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    Many masks are made for money

    February 4, 2014

    There’s an Easter surprise in the Philippines.

    March 28, 2017

    Mask collecting for the rich

    May 10, 2017
  • Mexico

    Diablo with lots of character

    September 24, 2015 / 3 Comments

    Q: Any idea what part of Mexico this Diablo comes from? I got if off eBay where I was told it had been collected in the 1960s or earlier and had been in a collection in Holland ever since. It’s made of hard wood with boar tusks for teeth. Mark, 841 A: Almost anyone will get a kick out of this oddly shaped Devil mask from Mexico. Certainly I do! But exactly where in Mexico was it made and what is it for. To the latter you could say a dance that characterizes Satan. But this delightful character could have been made strictly to sell to tourist and collectors.

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    Mexican masks can be very real

    December 9, 2015

    Blockbuster mask from Mexico

    March 1, 2016

    Master carver of the Sierra de Puebla

    March 23, 2015
  • Mexico

    Typical, old Mexican mask

    September 22, 2015 / 3 Comments

    Q: Do you agree that this is a Mexican, rather than Guatemalan mask? Nate, 840 A: Of course, there are some masks from nearby Guatemala of similar design, but this design is so typical of many areas in Mexico. It portrays a light-skinned man with black eyebrows and mustache. The holes for seeing and attaching strings, plus the facial characteristics, are also typical.

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    Show stopper from Guerrero

    October 6, 2014

    Good reading

    August 15, 2014

    Mexican Mermaid Mask

    April 12, 2016
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Quiz - Test Your Mask Knowledge

Click Here Take The Quiz

Mystery Mask Value Code

A - high value*

B - collectible*

C - decorative art

D - low value

* A and B do not always imply higher dollar value. Most masks get a C or D, however I usually don't post them.

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