Q:  I have a few masks for sale. (Then he lists each of them.)  Jeff, 934 A:  MasksoftheWorld.com does occasionally buy collections of masks. I also do appraisals for a fee. Here is one of the Noh mask photos Jeff sent to me. I will rate it a B, which is just a guess based on this fuzzy photo. If you go to “East Asia” on the right of this page you will see another, different in style, Hannya. They both represent the beautiful woman who fell in love with a priest and was turned into a hideous monster. There are many other Noh Theater characters. Japanese Noh Masks by…

Q:  I bought this mask 5 or 6 years ago in Vermont in a small shop owned by an elderly gentlemen. He told me he brought it back with him shortly after WW11 in which he served. Mask reminded me of the dancers in the King and I movie. I paid $20 for it. I would like to know if it is a Khon dance mask from Siam and its approximate age. Mickey, 909 A: It is from Siam, or what is now called Thailand in SE Asia. This is a classic Khon dance mask made out of strong papier mache and carefully detailed with paint and spangles. Often they…

Q:  I lived in Thailand for many years and I recently went back to see friends. On the trip I went to Dan Sai where the Phi Ta Khon festival is held. I purchased 10 masks and supporting costumes from the owners and creators themselves. I was told this is the rarest mask as only one animal is made at any given time. I’m in love with the art work on this. These masks aren’t usually offered to tourists as it’s just a sleepy village in the middle of nowhere but I’m lucky to know locals. It’s absolutely huge at 1meter in height by 40cm X 45 width and depth.…

This old Kendo mask from Okinawa, Japan, is now on a mask collector’s wall. Of course it is made to protect the fencer, but it also has a strong presence that is designed to worry the opponent. In case you aren’t familiar with the sport, Kendo is one of Japan’s martial arts that employs techniques of fencing based on the two-handed sword of the samurai. Kendo is now a system for mental and physical training practice using bamboo swords. It makes use of a face mask and a uniform of quilted cloth panels. On page 168 of our new book, Masks of the World, we start chapter 13, which is…

Q:  Can you tell me the origin of these masks?  There are two.  Richard, 882 A:  Even though the photo of this Korean mask is low is resolution and taken at too much of an angle, it shows one of the less common characters in the Yangu Pyeolsandae Nori which is the most popular folk performance in there.

Q:  Here’s a mask I bought some days ago from a man who told me it came from India, more precisely in Rajasthan, but how can I be sure? It cost me about 12€. What do you think of it?  Thanks, Maillard, 847 A:  I think this is a Nuo or exorcising mask from Guizhou, a mountainous province in southwest China.

Q: This mask was purchased from the estate of the daughter of a mask collector. It has his sticker. I was mot able to get his collection ledger. An African art dealer said it was not African. It is of ebony or a Dalbergia (Central American). I have never found anything that resembles it in my search. It has worn white chin whiskers. It was probably collected in the 1950’s. Kenneth, 833 A: Handsome tourist mask have been made in China and the Himalayas since the 19th century.

Q:  Can you tell me something about this mask? Its 25 cm high and light. And made of wood.  Brian, 822 A:  Here is another example of a mask that would never be used in the culture.

Q:  I bought at a flee market.The material is carved wood, lacquered, and about 20 cm high.  Enrico, 809 A: This is a mask for the Chen He theater of the Hu Nan district in China.  In the Ming dynasty, immigrants from Jiang Xi settled in the then barren land along the river of Chen He. 

Q: The head alone is 7” wide; with the ears included, it’s 14” across. The ears are removable. I’m pretty sure the material is a lightweight wood. My grandmother probably bought this on trips during the 1950’s or 1960’s. She also collected Satsuma ceramics, of which I have a few pieces. I’ve attached photos of the box it came in. Frank, 805 A: It always comes with a moveable jaw. Though this one is about 75 years old it is in brand-new condition. The Japanese love to give masks as a gift.