Q: Can you help me solve my boyfriend’s question whether or not these are evil? Rebecca, 932 A: This is not evil– just a waist of money. Decorative wall-hangings like this have been sold in airports all over Africa since the 1950’s. These carvings are meant for tourists and have little in common with traditional art. Thus the name “Airport art.” The Mask Man gets photos of this kind of stuff frequently and I always answer the sender’s questions, but never post them for others to see. I broke my rule today because I’d like to encourage interest in real African masks. Authentic folk art is much more satisfying than…
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Typical Guatemalan mask
Here is a nice Cristiano mask from the Dance of the Christians and Moors. It comes from Rabinal in central Guatemala. It represents a European man who has recently shaved. The Mayan people have a rich tradition of masquerade that is strongly influenced by Spanish classical art. This mask is part of Aaron’s collection. You can see more by looking for “Guatemala” in the Categories column to the right. Our go to pages 137-145 of our new book Masks of the World. And there are many other books that are entirely about Guatemalan masks.
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Basket-like mask from Europe
Q: Any thoughts about this mask? It is very large and completely woven. I have had it for some time, purchased at a garage sale. Could it be a mask that was used for “the running of the bulls?” Would appreciate any info you can provide. Mickey, 930 A: I’ve seen woven masks from all over the world. Some come from Europe, where bulls and other animals are favorite subjects. I have seen a bull from France that looks exactly like yours. With a little research or a helpful comment, we might be able to identify the village and what kind of celebration it is used for.
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Tschäggättä mask from the Swiss Alps
Q: I recently purchased this large old mask from a Canadian gentleman who had no knowledge of it’s origin or history. I’d guess it to be Eastern European, Tyrolean or possibly Swiss, but I’m not entirely certain where it’s from. I’m hoping you, or one of the many collectors who visit your site, may recognize it. It shows signs of use and has holes around the perimeter indicating it may have had a cloth or fur hood at one point. It also has a concave area surrounded by holes on the back that most likely held padding in place for the comfort of the wearer. It measures approx 14″X 9″,…
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Blockbuster mask from Mexico
This is another one of the exciting masks Kathleen discovered in the storage unit contents she won at auction. Michoacan, a state located in Westcentral Mexico, is where there are a number of highly talented carvers. In addition to masks for traditional dances, they also create extra-fancy items for sale to tourists and folk art collectors. This may be one of them. It looks like a blood-sucking bat on top of an unlucky conquistador. I’m just guessing. What do you think? Can you explain the spikes and chairs? 928
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Another African mystery
Q: I sent you pictures of a mask a couple months ago… the Bambara mask from Mali. Thanks for giving me great information. Here is another of the several I have. Again, all purchased in the 70’s from a guy in Southern Indiana. They each appear older… Kevin, 927 A: The patina on the front and back looks good. Probably African, but hard for me to identify. Let’s hope someone will offer a comment. Here is what I see on the back that might be helpful. It is thinly carved and has 12 holes on the top half of the edge which are probably meant to hold some kind of…
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Coconut mask from Puerto Rico
This is a Vejigante mask made out of a whole coconut husk in the city of Loiza, PR. (The nut has been removed from these large masks.) Many of the people who live there are of Nigerian decent. So the style of these masks is mostly influenced by the Chango warriors of West Africa, rather than the Catholic Church. There are Vegigante masks made in Ponce, PR, for the same celebration of St. James, but are made out of papier mache and look much different. This will go in the Caribbean category, which is the smallest on MasksoftheWorld.com. This category includes all of the islands plus the northern coastal areas…
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Black man sticking his tongue out
Q: It’s not for sale, but I need to have an idea of the origin of the mask. It’s for research and I don’t even know the name. You guys seem to have some knowledge about masks. Is it Japanese? Tayra, 925 A: Could be Japanese, or from someplace else in Asia. It might have helped to see a photo of the rear. The best we can hope for is that some will send in a helpful comment. In the meantime, tell us a little about your research.
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Very West African
Q: There was a consignment shop which I frequented as a college student. This mask appeared and I wanted to buy it. Had little money, so paid it off in increments. It is very light wood and as you can see had not been treated well. It has some kind of fur and a movable month. I tried looking for similar masks and could not find. Is it a Dan mask? Mickey, 924 A: This is one of those mixed features masks. To identify the various tribal features you would have to study mask photos from Liberia east to Cameroon. Many pieces like this are made for the tourist trade.…
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Celebrity mask we all recognize
I collected this mask of Barack Obama when he first ran for president. It is about time I show it to my viewers, otherwise you might not recognize his young face and dark hair. Also, I want to suggest that collecting celebrity masks might be a lot of fun. These inexpensive plastic masks are readily available in all of the developed countries of the world. In addition to political leaders you could collect other kinds of celebrities as well.
