Q: Thanks for a great appreciation of the vaquero style mask. A welcome affirmation of what I had hoped. Here are images of what I think is an old African Bwa hombo or forgeron with age and character. You have great website – love it! Arthur, 964 A: I rarely ask someone who sends a mask to us for something else. But I had a hunch you would please us once again. This is an above average Bwa mask, traditional in style and use of the black, red and white paints. The Bwa people are found in Burkina Faso, which is just below Mali in West Africa. Even a generalist…
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Very old Guatemalan mask
Q: I do collect African masks but recently bought a collection of seven which I believe are old Guatemalan. I have two of the smaller – I’m sending images of one. It must have a dozen layers of paint. These 7 masks I’ve just acquired are the most interesting to me at the moment. If you are interested in seeing the other new masks or any of my African collection just let me know! Appreciative of your consideration, Arthur, 962 A: This doesn’t happen to me often enough– a rare old mask that serious collectors would love to own can be pictured on this blog. It could be a vaquero,…
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Animal mask from Nepal
Q: This mask was bought at auction in Ontario, Canada. I don’t know if it is a wolf or a wild boar. I first thought it may be an aboriginal mask from the West Coast of Canada but now I’m wondering if it is Indonesian. There is a small bit of a wax seal remaining which I saw on other Indonesian masks. Not sure if it has much value but I am downsizing and need to get rid of stuff. It definitely looks like it has been around for a long while. Any help would be appreciated. Brenda, 961 A: Actually, it is from Nepal, probably the Middle Hills area.…
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Yao Shaman Mask
Q: I bought this mask in Bangkok at Jj mall. The man said he brought the mask back from China. He mentioned it was a Chinese tribal around 100 years old (unsure of how genuine he was being, but I had my Thai friend there speaking with him). I ended up paying a little over $100 US dollars. Most of his merchandise was more expensive than this. Let me know anything else I can provide to help. Miles, 960 A: Sorry for the bad news… Though it (the 2nd photo) is Chinese tribal, it is a recently made, cheap tourist version of a Yao mask. For comparison I’m also posting…
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Authentic or reproduction
Q: Hi Bob! I was looking at this mask on the net and the seller says it appears ritually used. Do you think it’s as claimed from viewing it? J., 959 A: Here is what the copy says… This is an outstanding ethnographic spiritual relic imported from the Igbo tribe of Nigeria. It’s an otherworldly old ritual mask made from carved wood. It features 4 horn-like protrusions from the top of the head and a rather startling facial expression. An old cloth hangs down the back of the neck to completely conceal the identity of the wearer. This is an older, used relic with signs of ritual wear as you can see in…
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PNG Yam Mask
This old mask is from the Abelam people who live in the East Sepik province of Papua New Guinea. They are a farming society in which giant yams are an especially important food source. The masks are used to decorate harvested yams. Carvings like this (collected more than 40 years ago) were not made with steel tools and are often more beautiful than the more modern versions. You can see this and many other authentic Abelam and Wosera yam masks from the Dick Jemison Collection at Galerie Mourlot in New York City during Tribal Art Week, May 4-8. Thank you, David Cassera, for reminding us of this important show.
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Old Bull Mask from Mexico
A fine old example of the Bull (Torito) mask that is an important character at Carnival in Alto Lucero, Veracruz. This mask was well used when it was bought in the 1960s. See page 34 of Masks of Mexico by Mauldin for a similar mask that is not as old. This one is pictured in Masks of the World by Ibold and Yohn on page 124. It is what serious collectors love– frequent usage, old age, beautiful traditional design, and still in good shape. Note the mirror in middle of forehead. In a few days we will have an auction of Mexican masks on this website. Because of current economic…
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The fabulous Baining mask
This is a famous mask that comes from one of the islands in the New Britain chain of the Pacific Ocean. It is quite large (almost as big at the tribesman who’s wearing it) and is made of tapa cloth stretched over a light wood frame. The large masks are spectacular folk art worn at night around a bonfire built by the Uramot Baining people who live in the mountainous interior of the Gazelle Peninsula, and used during performances of the snake dance. Very dramatic, and different from anything else you can see in the world of masquerade. I hope you enjoy it.
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Colorful Zaouli mask
Today I was sent this along with some photos of very colorful masks from Ivory Coast, West Africa. Here is the message… “I came across these videos of Zaouli dance from the Guro tribe, Ivory coast. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BbLzhlR8GJc https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=87SLHb2cDpY&nohtml5=False I showed these to my grandson – now age 6 – and he said “How do they do that?” Richard, 954 Zaouli is thought to exemplify a “new tradition” in African ritual and ceremonial dance that apparently arose after the end of colonialism and is recognized as such. It is also associated with brightly painted masks that often incorporate snakes linked to the Mami Wata religion of West Africa that was transported…
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Mexican Mermaid Mask
Q: Can you estimate age, where it came from in Mexico and who might have carved it? What is your take on the condition, paint loss, looks like woods knots over the eye and next to the nose and something under the nose? Bill, 953 A: It came from the state of Guerrero. I think we started seeing this style of decorative (tourist mask) as early as 1970. The tourist trade was beginning to grow and these kinds of items were offered to rich gringos as valuable antiques. This decorative industry grew and grew, often producing beautiful carvings that can be a joy to collect. By the 90’s…
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