Q:  I’ve just picked up this mask from an antique dealer in Paris. Apparently it’s a late 19th century Swiss mask. The teeth appear to be real but I’m not sure, and the hair feels to be human but considering its still attached to hide common sense says its probably horse.  The dimensions of the mask are 30cm X 18cm.  Is there anything you can tell me about it?  PS: my girlfriend has bought me your book for xmas, without my even asking her! A:  This is a Roitschaeggaetae mask from the Loetsch Valley of Wallis Canton in the mountains of Switzerland.

Q: The mask in the photos was purchased at an auction. The husband and wife were both university professors – she taught art and he taught history. They had many South American and American Southwest items. They also had a lot of older Chinese and Japan pieces. We purchased a Thai mask, but this one was intriguing. There was no provenance as there was no family left to validate where this mask was from. The mask measures (measuring from the back side) 9.5″ tall and 7.25″ wide. This does not include the trailing mustache.

Sometimes I’ll show a mask I used to own because they represent cultures we don’t see much on the Mystery Mask blog. Call it a change of pace. This one is European, a classic carnival mask made of papier mache from Venice . Signed by the artist “Barbare” on the rear. An almost identical mask is illustrated in the book, “Masks from Around the World.” This one is a used mask with quite a few chips in the paint and some large repairs. I suspect the wearer may have fallen down a few times.  In my opinion, the repairs make for a good story and do not distract much from…

Every January, on Saint Sebastian Day, the streets of Piornal, Spain, fill with residents armed with turnips, seeking to punish the Jarramplas. The Jarramplas is a devil-like character portrayed by a man wearing a costume made from colorful strips of fabric, a frightening mask, and body armor underneath. In a centuries-old tradition, he walks the streets and beats a drum while residents throw turnips at him as a punishment for stealing cattle.

Q: This unusual mask was a total mystery when I bought it, but now I would like to share it with you and your visitors. I got it for some 70 usd at a thrift shop. It had a tag with a telephone number and said ‘Bottega Artigiana per lo studio delle arti popolari’, and there is a logo branded in the inside. It was made by Gian Pietro Angelo in the town of Macomer on the island of Sardinia, Italy. I guess it is of Mediterranean pine tree, and has a bright red water color with dark varnish, which gives the mask an incredibly gloomy red color.

Q:  I just got back from the U.K., and there was an amazing medieval executioner’s mask in the Tower of London, but it was black on a black background with glass in front and very low light, so I wasn’t able to get a good photo (tripod would have been impossible because of the massive crowds of people). But someone got a relatively good shot of it and posted it, so here it is.  Aaron, 663 A:  The world of masquerade can be a wild and crazy place.

Q:  I just bought this Austrian Mask for a great price.  Its not the 3rd or 4th German/Austrian mask that I’ve owned, that is carved in detail, carved to ergonomically be worn (such as the nose recess), yet has no holes, strings, or otherwise showing that its been used or was ever going to be used. Do you know why that is? Are they art first and wearable masks second? Left to the owner to attach strings themselves?  I find that odd.  Nathan, 654 A:  Folk masks have been carved in Southern Germany, Switzerland, Northern Italy and Austria for many centuries.

Q: I’m trying to find out some information about these masks. I’m guessing that they are from Germany. Any information would be helpful.  Craig, 622 A: You are correct, they are German.

Q: I acquired these 2 masks from a 75 year old gentlemen. They were given to him by his father who said they were purchased in Alaska. They are made of wood. The teeth seem real. Maybe a man and woman? There are no markings on the back. The hair seems like horse hair. The larger mask is approx 12×7. There appears to be adhesive on the back. The detail on the smaller mask seems as if it was glued to leather. The adhesive looks like liquid nails.  Sharyl, 614 A: At first I thought they might be Native American because I have seen a old, Northern Iroquois masks that…

Q: Bought this mask online several years ago. I’m guessing it’s Swiss or Italian. The nose and chin were carved to appear “split” down the center. The wood is dense and smells like cedar.Teeth are plastic. No idea of age but it appears to be older. Any ideas as to origin?  Dan A: I agree with you– it’s an unusual mask.