Q:  I have a second mask if you would like to see it. I got them from my uncle some years ago. He got the 2 of them in Russia about 25 years ago, though I’m sure they are much older than that. I assume they are of Germanic origin but really don’t know. Any info you can provide would be great. Thanks.  Josh, 676 A:  Foreign folk art often turns up thousands of miles from where it was made.

Q:  Appreciate your opinion. Would this mask be Tlingit?  Jack, 668 A:  No.

Q: I am looking to identify these masks. There are three that are made in the same style but with different facial features. The paint is the same on all, making me think they are for the tourist market, I am just not sure where. One has large lips and two have large noses of different styles. I have a few African masks and other tribal art. I inherited these three from my father and am unsure of their origin. Can you help? Thanks so much for your time. I have googled and the closest I think I have found is Sri Lanka, but I may be far off. I…

Q: I just discovered this mask (have not bought it) and have no idea what it is.  The seller doesn’t either.  It bears some superficial resemblances to some forms of Bulgarian Kuker masks, but I’ve never seen one in leather like this.  It might be an American folk mask for all I know.  What do you think?  Aaron, 623 A: I hope you buy it. It is the work of a talented artist, probably European.

I thought you might enjoy seeing the masks I’ve acquired since we last talked. The Wayana mask was hard to find, and I’m being rewarded now with dried leaf flakes scattered all over my house.  In the meantime, I’ve been editing my photos from Thailand and Cambodia, which include some amazing antique Khon masks from the National Museum in Bangkok and the Royal Palace and National Museum in Phnom Penh.  I’ll show you those when they’re ready – nothing being produced today even comes close to those old ones.  Aaron, 601 A: I love being kept up to date on your acquisitions.

My characterization of the Peruvian mask as a Wapuri is just a guess. “Wapuri” is a character in the Bolivian Kullawada dance, which refers to a long-nosed European character. I am assuming that the Peruvian version is just a little different, but is used for similar purposes in similar dances.  I could be wrong.  Aaron, 583 A: I think you are correct.

Q: I would really appreciate your help identifying the mystery mask and costume.  I bought these for $100 total from a guy who said they were from Peru.  The back is as fancy as the front.  I see some Ecuadorian (Diablo Umo-type) characteristics here, but I admit this thing is a total mystery to me.  Nothing I’ve seen or read about remotely resembles it.  Any ideas?  Aaron, 578 A: Peru sounds right to me.

Q: I visited the Canaima area of Venezuela in March 1991 and not far from the airstrip I bought the attached mask in a small village. I was told it was a monkey spirit mask and was used for a ‘wedding type ceremony’ by the Pemon Indians. This was one of two masks (the other being a real monkey skull) made of reed covered in a plaster, straw hair and real monkey teeth.The mask looked used when purchased.  Paul, 458 A: That is a handsome piece, and a bit different from the similarly constructed masks of the nearby Piaroa-Huarime people.