Thai or Timorese mask?

Q:  I’ve had it about 25 years. It came from a guy who used to import furniture from Thailand and he just acquired it from some locals who got it many years earlier from a temple that was destroyed by fire. Whether or not that’s just a salesman patter or quite feasible– who knows? But I’ve looked through the net and haven’t got any more of a clue of what it is. It’s approx 32 by 19 inches and of heavy darkish wood. If you could shed some light on it I would be very grateful.  Alex, 730

A:  I haven’t seen a Thai mask like this. It looks more like the South Pacific island of Timor. But that large size is hard to explain. Maybe it is something whipped up for the tourist trade. If someone recognizes it please favor us with a comment.