Q: (From a small museum) We have this wooden mask with no information on it, and no real leads on where to look. The mask is an orange face with black spots all over it, with it’s brow and mouth region protruding out. It’s about 8″ tall and has what appears to be some form of leather with a few traces of animal hair nailed in with tiny nails above its’ eyes and mouth almost like eyebrows and a mustache. Inside the mouth on the upper part are four holes that look like they used to hold some kind of makeshift teeth in them. Dani, 643 A: Maybe it’s a…
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Beware of barking dog
Q: Good day, Bob. Thank you for the given opportunity to find out more about masks. There is a mask carved from the wood 10.5″ high, 9.5″ diameter of the top, and 6.5″ is a diameter of the teeth part. Igor, 642 A: I’m going to guess this is a wolf or dog mask from Mexico.
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Beautiful Buddha
Q: I’ve had this and another very similar mask for some 15yrs. They were found in a skip! 18″ tall 11″ wide and made I think of balsa, they are very light anyway and feel furry. I have seen Balinese masks similar but very rough in comparison. Where do you think they are from and what age? The faces were bright white but years of hanging in my Scottish cottage with smoky wood burner has given them a ‘mature patina’ Ha ha! Al, 641 A: This is a sculpture of the Buddha, not a mask.
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A carver with his own unique style
Q: Hey Bob. I figure this one’s a fake, just thought I’d run it by you to see what you think or what style it looks like. It appears to be wood, 11 1/2 inches by 6, with horns on the face. Found it in an antique store a while ago and thought it looked cool. Thanks. Matt, 640 A: You wrote to the right guy. The Mask Man considers Mexican decoratives to be different from traditional dance masks, but equally valid as art.
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Nice souvenir of Mexico
Q: I have never seen a mask like this one and don’t know where it originates from. Its about 9 inches by 13 inches and would fit on your face; has a couple of eye holes punched in it. Looks like a hippo with a human face. It appears to be carved from a light weight wood. Bill, 639 A: It represents a jaguar who has swallowed a man.
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Early Eskimo sun glasses
Q: These are the bone goggles I told you about on the phone. I’m wondering if they are Inuit. On the back you can see an etching of a man with a whip in a sled (upper left corner) being pulled by three groups of dogs, extending to the right. There is also a hole through the bone (vein?) below the right eye. Tom, 638 A: Hand carved out of bone or wood, these narrow goggles with slits were used by most Eskimo hunters to protect their eyes from sunlight reflected off the snow.
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Senufo or otherwise
Q: I recently acquired a neat mask from an antique sale. It’s quite big, and I believe it’s all one piece of wood. I was told from the seller it was from West Africa, and is Senufo. Just wondering if you might know any more about it and it’s authenticity. Jack, 637 A: This is not a typical Senufo mask. The antelope style is more popular with other cultures in the surrounding areas of Mali and Burkina Faso.
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Bali is hard to beat
Q: My wife and i have been collecting masks and hand carved art mostly from asia for about 20 years. We started when stationed in singapore and found some neat stuff in malaysia, and search out artists/masters when we travel. Found your web site while looking at some balinese mask photos, and i thought i recognized work. If/when you come across some pieces with ‘character’ and/or high quality, i would welcome chance to be on your mailing list. Would be happy to share photos of some of our collection if interested. We are not looking to sell, but have not found many other collectors who recognize quality the way you…
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Who knows this wild man?
Q: I’ve bought this mask at an estate sale in Philly two years ago, as I initially thought it might be a mask of the Iroquois ‘False Face Society’ or from the American North-West Coast. But once I’ve seen a quite similar example on the web I’m inclined to believe it is a mask made for the trade at around the mid 20th century or slightly before. Greetings from Austria, Herb, 635 A: These exciting characters come from somewhere in Indonesia.
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Bottom of the line
Q: A few weeks ago I came home to find this mask sitting on a bench on my carport. I asked my neighbors if they knew any about it. Sadly they did not. I was curious if you could give insight on where is may have originated from as I have nothing to go on. Pete, 634 A: It is the famous Racer mask of the Dan people who live in the Ivory Coast region of West Africa. However, it may have been made somewhere else.
