It’s not a mask, but it looks like one. For years there have always been a few people who like to collect surprise art objects for their walls. I love this guy and will categorize him under “Misc.” Part of the fun is trying to guess what it really is. Here’s the story. In earlier times horses were employed to work in bogs and marshes where there was a danger of the horse sinking and getting stuck. Bog shoes of cut wood were strapped onto the horse’s hooves to allow the horse to stay above the bog. Think of how a snow shoe works. The bog shoe is big and…
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Chewa mask from Malawi
The Chewa are a Bantu people of central and southern Africa and the largest ethnic group in Malawi. Internationally, the Chewa are mainly known for their masks and their secret societies, called Nyau. Historically, all Chewa men belonged to the secret Nyau society. The society’s masks represent the spirits of the deceased, but they can also be bush spirits or personalities from the wider community including Swahili slave traders, British officials, the Virgin Mary and others with antisocial traits and undesirable values. Unlike most West African masks, these Nyau faces often remind you of someone. This one is particularly special in its color combinations. By searching the Africa category on…
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Toma masquette from Liberia
Recently I had email exchange with Andrew Berz which resulted in him sending us these excellent photos and the following description. Composition: wood, pigment, heavy layered remains of libations/encrustation, feathers, adhesive/tree tar, original fetish charge on the rear Age: late 19th-early 20th century Dimensions: 9″ x 4″ Provenance: Ex. Berz Gallery of African Art, Ex. Michael Rhodes, NY, Ex. Patrick Nuti, US The Toma are prolific carvers, famous for their large Landai masks. Smaller masks of this style are extremely rare. The Toma have lived in the rain forest and their social and political regulations are grounded in the initiation and life activities of the Poro association. This mask is…
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Fasnacht mask from Bavaria
The festival of Fasnacht is a carnival in German folklore that takes place in the few days before Lent in Southern Germany, Switzerland and Alsace. The celebration literally means ‘Fasting Eve’ as it originally referred to the day before the fasting season of Lent. The schools are closed for this festival and all over the Black Forest there are six days of parties and making merry. This particular mask with its strange nose is old and used. Could this be the infamous Ruebezahl?
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Tukuma initiation mask from the Amazon
Q: I have five of what I think are women coming of age ceremonial masks. I would love to get an appraisal. Please let me know how you would like to proceed. Thank you very much for your help! Nikki, 1164 A: Thanks for sending the pictures. Instead of paying me for appraising your five Tukuna masks, let’s see if we can get some comments from from our readers. Like the one pictured here, all have descriptions and prices stapled to the bark cloth. This one is priced at $35, the others range up to $85. When were they brought back from the Amazon? If that was in the 1970’s,…
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Pere mask from the DRC
Q: I was hoping you can identify the possible age and origin of 1 of 2 masks purchased from a local sale here in New Jersey? Both were purchased for less than $10 and the size of the painted wooden one I’m inquiring about here is roughly 10 x 7-1/2 x 5 inches. Can you please help? Jo, 1163 A: Fortunately I was able to discover a similar mask from the Pere of the DRC. They are a semi-nomadic tribe in northeastern area somewhere between the Komo and the Ndaaka that came from Uganda in the 1800’s. It was suggested the mask was used to celebrate the ancestor cult, Ndekele,…
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Yoruba Gelede Mask
Q: I bought this mask last year for $75 on eBay. There is a receipt showing that the mask was sold in 1970 for $275 at a fundraiser for an art museum. I haven’t been able to identify it, but the colonial figure on top is interesting. Thanks for all your help so far. I am a “senior citizen” who began collecting after I bought a mask at our local flea market one year ago, and I hope that I have a few treasures among the trash. Fred, 1162 A: This Gelede wooden headdress is a treasure carved from a single piece of light wood. The human face appears to…
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Mexican decorative
Q: Here I’ve attached pictures of my mask. It’s pretty small, so I don’t think it’s meant to be worn except maybe by a toddler. It’s about 8″ in diameter, maybe less. I got it for free on my local buy nothing group (Facebook) here in Seattle so I didn’t pay anything for it. Any info you could tell me about it would be wonderful. Thanks, Tracy, 1161 A: Mexican decoratives are not really masks, nor are they meant to be authentic artifacts. They’re wall-hangings made for tourists. I find them colorful, inventive, and almost as interesting as real dance masks. Mexican mask makers are very creative and frequently come…
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Black-faced monk from Korea
This mask is very popular in Yangju, South Korea. In the dance drama this ugly old man tries to seduce a pretty girl. The white dots on his black face are supposed to represent small pox. There are quite a few characters in these celebrations, but the favorites are monks and pretty girls. The girl masks are colored white and the monks are black. This one is made out of wood. The other common material used in Yangju is papier mache. Korean masks look much different from those of other countries around the world. B+
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Guatemala is the place for masks
This photo was taken at a museum in Guatemala City. The featured mask (with costume) is for the Deer Dance. The ones on the wall come from different dances. Shops will rent masks and costumes to the locals for an affordable price. They’re called morerias. This small country takes masquerade very seriously. There are many unique masks for tourists and collectors to enjoy. In my book, Masks of the World, I devote a whole chapter to this special part of the world. Save
