Q: Hi, again– This is a mask collected by my elderly friend from an Iban area of Sarawak. I love it (especially the cigarette foil teeth!), and I would really like to be able to tell her more about it. Do you know what the use for such a mask might be? Thanks again for your help! Sarah, 741
A: I usually don’t post two mystery masks from the same person, at least not in the same month. (Sarah’s other one is 738.) But these two are so interesting! This particular one does have a great set of teeth and is correctly identified. Your other mask is still up in the air as far as proper identification goes. Unfortunately, I’m not a specialist in any area of the world. Sometimes I know the name of the mask and the purpose for which it is used– but not most of the time. I’m a generalist. Let’s hope for some comments. A
