w

Detail Photos

A very fine shamanic mask from Nepal's far East, in the area of Illam.  The mask was used in a Hindu / Shamanic context.  The mask was probably intended to represent either a Hindu mendicant (sadhu), or perhaps Mahadeva himself.  Mahadeva is considered to be an epithet of Shiva, but literally means, "Great God". It is in accord with the arguably simpler sense of the last definition, that people in the middle hills understand the term - that being simply as "God" a personified omnipotent power.

The mask is distinguished by its terse, primitive lines, human hair on the brow, kaolin or "chuna" - a lime based pigment used to give the impression of a beard, and finally and perhaps most notably the use of Rudraksha beads, which are sacred and important in Shamanism, Hinduism and even some Vajrayana Buddhist rites.