Q: I have been trying to find out more about this mask but have not come very far. Is it maybe a diablo mask? Another possibility would be an Asian mask because of those bulging eyes. The mask fits my face and the holes for the eyes are in the right place, but there are no attachment holes. I suspect that it is a tourist piece. Roosje, 1357 A: Thanks for sending in your three excellent photos. Unfortunately, once again, the Mask Man is stumped. I hope someone will help me out. It has a nice form and good colors. Also there are things about it that don’t look like…
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Prehistoric clay masks
The first is a Domen period mask from Nagano, Japan. The smaller photo shows a prehistoric clay mask dug up in Turkey. There is also a stone mask from the Middle East shown on page 203 of our book, Masks of the World, that is thought to be over 9000 years old. The tradition of masquerade goes far back in the history of mankind.
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Tribal art’s influence on modern art
A wooden mask from the Yukon River region of Alaska (ca. 1890–1910). To its right: Francis Picabia’s painting, Monstre (1946). The French artist André Breton once owned the Alaskan wooden mask (ca. 1890–1910) that a gallery paired alongside one of Francis Picabia’s monster paintings. Surrealist artists long admired these Yup’ik masks from the central Alaskan coast, which were made in the hopes of divining bountiful hunts. Breton, Man Ray, and Yves Tanguy all collected the masks beginning in 1934. They saw it as Surrealism from another time and place. African masks are not the only tribal art that had an influence on the modern art of Europe. The second mask…
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Gschell mask from Germany
Q: I was wondering how a German mask is made? Jimmy, 1354 A: That was a beautiful photo you sent, but a little low in resolution. So the main photo is a female version of yours from the Second Face museum of cultural masks. Here is the beginning of their description. TITLE: Fasnet Gschell Mask COUNTRY: Germany SUBREGION: Rottweil ETHNICITY: Swabian German DESCRIPTION: Gschell Narro MAKER: Helmut Kramer CEREMONY: Fasnet (Carnival) AGE: ca. 1970s-1980s MAIN MATERIAL: wood OTHER MATERIALS: oil paint; horsehair; satin ribbons; mirrors Yours (second mask) is a male version of the same mask. To learn how they are made, do a Google search. Helmut Kramer was…
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Guatemalan monkey mask
Don’s mask of The Mexican from a Guatemalan dance inspired me to share this picture with you of The Monkey. There are lots of different animal masks used in the popular Deer Dance. Best liked by tourists and collectors is the monkey character. This one is old and used. Newer ones are usually painted in bright black, white and red, with no golden hair. This little country practices masquerade a lot. As you can see on the list to the right, a separate category is devoted to Guatemala.
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The Mexican Guatemalan mask
Q: I recently picked up this mask. I think it is Guatemalan. It appears to be Pedro Alvarado. I am wondering if this may be the case. Any information would be helpful regarding this mask.Thank you, Don, 1352 A: You are close, but it is The Mexican, not Alvarado. You can learn about either character by going to Google. Here’s the good news. Your mask might be authentic. Most of the masks sent to me are usually reproductions or cheap tourist junk. For the latter I try to write a nice reply, but I don’t post it. A
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2000-yr-old mask from Argentina
I don’t think any of our viewers could afford an ancient mask like this, but I hope some of you enjoy seeing it as much as I did. Made between 100BC and 250AD by the Alamito tribe of north-western Argentina was recently in the news. It’s smooth, grey-quartz face has a sloping rudder of a nose and five holes: two for the eyes, one for a mouth puckered in confusion, and two at the sides to allow the masks to be tied around the head. It was priced at $135,174. This wasn’t a record. Two years ago a Baule Goli mask fetched $1.4m at Christies (it once belonged to Picasso).
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Korean masks
In the Republic of Korea, you can watch a traditional masked dance called Cheoyongmu, which features a cast of characters who each wear a different type of mask. The masks come with black cloth attached to the sides of the mask designed to cover the back of the head and also to simulate black hair. They are used for dances, and are sold to collectors and tourists. There are two ways to categorize masks: religious masks and artistic masks. Religious masks were often used to ward off evil spirits and the artistic masks are mostly used in dances and theater shows. Masks which are use for dance in Korea come…
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Kali masks from India
Here is what the Second Face Museum has to say about the first Kali mask… The Gambhira Dance is an agricultural religious dance originating in Bangladesh and West Bengal, India by devotees of Shakti, also known as Durga, a female god created by the combined energies of all other gods to destroy the tyranny of demons called asuras. Ghambira dance is performed to music of the same name. The two main characters are a grandfather and grandson, with the former narrating a story involving social and political issues during the dancing and singing. Masqueraders representing gods, animals, and important characters act out the elements of the story. This mask represents…
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Beaded elephant mask
Elephant masks from the Bamileke people of the Cameroon Grassfields are one of the most flamboyant to be seen anywhere in West Africa. The circular disks are the elephant’s ears and the double panel hanging down represents the trunk. They are large and very decorative. Today they are still are worn by Bamileke men’s societies for special celebrations, and some are sold to art exporters. Never cheap because of all the work that goes into them, you can find affordable ones on the Internet.
