Q: I am working as part of a new BBC drama set in 1814. One of our main characters has links back to Africa and we are trying to find some information/ images of Ashanti masks of this year or just after/ before. I have struggled to find any information on this so far and I am not sure as to whether this tribe really used masks…. I was wondering whether you could offer any help or advice as to what African masks looked like during this time period?
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Eskimo sun glasses
Q: These antique whale bone/scrimshaw goggles came from the Aleutian Islands near Alaska. Would you have any idea the approximate age of these goggles? How valuable would these be? PJ, 873 A: Indigenous people in the extreme Northern parts of the world have always carved goggles out of wood or bone with thin slits for eye holes.
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Bird mask with big bill
Q: A friend of mine is struggling to identify a certain mask. It is a bird with a curved, sharp protruding bill. Any info as to origin would be so very welcome. Lioda, 872 A: It’s a bird mask from Guatemala. I have seen hundreds of these over the years and they always were made for the tourist trade. There is one traditional dance in Guatemala which features a hunter and a lot of different animals, but not birds.
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Unique to one town in Spain
Q: Bob, would you know where I can buy a Cigarron mask and also a Caretos masks, thank you. Liam, 871 A: Until your email I had never heard of the Cigarrones. It turns out they are part of an annual festival that is unique to a single town, Verin, in Galicia, Spain. There are many cities and towns all over the world that have special events that utilize masquerade.
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Makonde breast plate
Q: Not so much a mask, but I thought it may be of interest. What do you think? Andrew, 870 A: Many mask collectors consider this to be a kind of mask. It is usually worn by a man who has a carved wood helmet mask over his entire head. I would call it a pectoral mask of a pregnant female torso with enlarged nipples and a herniated umbilicus. Also note the abdominal tattoos that have been slightly highlighted with the same dark stain as the nipples and navel.
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Mexican masks can be very real
Q: I just lost an auction for an awesome female Catrine mask. Here’s a photo of it; the eyelids do not close. With commission, it sold for $1400. I had bid $1100 and lost, and I’m very disappointed, as you can imagine. I really wanted that mask. Aaron, 869 A: You have my sympathy.
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Traditional mask from the Swiss Alps
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.
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Old Kolam mask from Sri Lanka
Q: I attached some of our mask for you to see. Please visit my Facebook page for more. https://www.facebook.com/Traditional-Kolam-Dancing-Maha-Ambalangoda-109452742477818/ The art of Ambalangoda masquerade and dance were invented about 250 years ago by the Tukkawadu Gunadasa and have been maintained to this day. Our generation has preserved many of the masks and costumes at a beautiful conservation center here in Sri Lanka.
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Praise for the new book, Masks of the World
Five experts in masks and other tribal art were kind enough to send us their comments. “This is a dictionary of masking that not only looks at the persona of the mask, but will aid in defining its use, ethnicity and geographical origin.” – Jim Pieper, author of Guatemalan Masking and Guatemalan Folk Saints “Unlike most of the reference books in my library, this one is more about the artistic qualities of folk art, and less prejudiced against invented or decorative objects.” – Bryan Stevens, author of Mexican Masks and Puppets “After reading this book you will have taken your first course in mask collecting. You will be able…
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Red Mwana Pwo mask
Q: I was recently in South Africa and purchased a mask in the Green Market in Cape Town. I paid around $75 for it and was impressed by the vendor’s knowledge of the different masks he had. This one especially caught my attention as it was so different than the others. I would love to know about its origins and anything else you might determine. Alan, 865 A: This looks like a Mwana Pwo mask from the Chokwe people of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
