Q: I purchased this from an antique store for $75. Carved from a single piece of wood with a small purple gemstone inset on the forehead. Measures approximately 9 inches from forehead to chin, about 5.5 inches deep, and 5.5 inches across. Store owner said she purchased as part of a lot of masks from a collector at auction. Was labeled as possible exorcism mask from Nepal. – Shannon
A: This is a monkey mask from Java. Oftentimes the monkey character will provide comic relief during traditional dance dramas. After seeing the back of the mask, I think this mask made for display versus usage but I think it would look great displayed on your wall.
