We will be making some changes to the Masks of the World website.  We will be launching a new design, adding social media, videos, a new marketplace and more content. We will be adding content about: Collecting – Finding, identifying, valuing authentic masks – and other collecting topics. Learning – Historical perspective, what is the meaning, purpose, and use of masks. Displaying – Tips for displaying masks. Travel – Great places to visit around the world that still engage in masking traditions.   We are excited about the new changes, and we hope you enjoy discovering the amazing world of masks and cultural celebrations as much as we enjoy bringing it…

Q:  A friend gave me this mask when she was moving as I have always admired it.   It fits on top of your head rather than over the face.  It is about 21 inches long by 12 inches wide.  It looks like a manta or sting ray.  Any info?   Brad A:  I’m finally back to posting mystery masks. Yours is going to be difficult. I have never seen a stingray mask in my 50-year career of collecting. It is probably from someplace on the Atlantic Coast of West Africa. It seems to be new and and made for the tourist trade. But I can see in a river ceremony…

The Ijaw are a large ethnic group of about 14 million people in the delta region of Nigeria, West Africa. Traditional religious practices center around “Water spirits” in the Niger river, and around tribute to ancestors. Although the Ijaw are now practicing Catholicism, Anglicanism and Pentecostal , they also have elaborate traditional religious practices of their own. Veneration of ancestors plays a central role in Ijaw traditional religion, while water spirits, known as Owuamapu figure prominently in the Ijaw pantheon. In addition, the Ijaw practice a form of divination called Igbadai, in which recently deceased individuals are interrogated on the causes of their death. Ijaw religious beliefs hold that water spirits are like humans in having personal strengths and…

“Masks as contemporary art and sculpture,” December 17, 2020, was my recent post about a beautiful woodcarving. Here’s another mask I just discovered that could be categorize as Textile Sculpture. Hope you enjoy it!  

Anubis was a jackal-headed deity who presided over the embalming process and accompanied dead kings in the afterworld. When kings were being judged by Osiris, Anubis placed their hearts on one side of a scale and a feather (representing Maat) on the other. Anubis is the son of Osiris and Nephthys. Despite being one of the most ancient and “one of the most frequently depicted and mentioned gods” in the Egyptian pantheon, Anubis played almost no role in Egyptian myths. I believe this helmet mask is carved stone or ceramic and several thousand years old. It would have been fit over the head of a mummified corpse and used as a death mask.  I also…

Woodcarver Sherilyn Tharp expresses her history of drawing, woodworking and carving experience with this carved mask. Tharp takes a traditional carved form and uses a wide variety of techniques sometimes in unusual and nontraditional ways to articulate her own vision. Her masks are carved from a wide variety of woods and often embellished with scraps and found objects such as nails or thorns.  The hair of a mask might be scrap from some other project such as basket making materials or fabric scraps. Some of the masks are carved from wood collected from tree cutters that save especially beautiful and unusual logs for her. It is not uncommon for fine…

Q: I found this mask years ago, but always wonder it’s value and it’s authenticity. Sukelly, 1785 A: And well you should. It is from the undiscovered tribal areas of Papua New Guinea. We can tell because metal tools were not used to carve the mask. The large areas of the Sepic River area were only beginning to be discovered by white men in the early days of the 20th century… there were still a few undiscovered tribes in 2000! This artifact is authentic. It was probably hung on the outside of the owners hut or the inside of a meeting house, and represents the spirit of an important ancestor.…

Q: Hello, I inherited this mask. I have posted it in an African art group but no one seemed to have any info for me. Kyle, 1779 A: This may not be African. It looks old, used in culture many times, perhaps in different colors and repainted. It appears to be authentic to me, of course, I could be wrong. Please give us you comment.

Q: I would like to know more about this mask. Is it authentic and if it is, where does it come from? Value? Thanks, Renske, 1768 A: Our nice looking mask is about as primitive as it can get. I have seen authentic carvings like this from Africa, the Himalayans, and the South Pacific. Unfortunately, ours was made to sell to tourist. Just where is anybody’s guess. So forget about buying a motorcycle. The good news is, this down-to-earth wall-sculpture can be enjoyed by all. And maybe one of our viewers will recognize something I missed. C    

Q: I just wish to know the origin of this mask. Thank you. Jean, 1766 A: Glad you sent this in. I’ve been seeing similar masks for a few years now. But I can’t find out where they are coming from. Whether it is an authentic artifact, or something made for commerce must be determined by others. African or Asian? Perhaps one of our viewers will have a comment. Please help us. Jean is an exert on Guatemalan masks, and I’m supposed to be the world famous Mask Man!