~ Detail Photos ~

Featured here is a "classical" Himalayan mask, meaning it came from one of the two major world religions found in the Himalayas - in this case Tantric Buddhism, and also that its form adheres to prescribed iconographical specifications. The mask came from Tibet itself and is pre-Chinese occupation era.

The mask depicts a wrathful protective deity, whose aggressive countenance reflects his unwavering dedication to protecting the Buddhist Dharma and its adherents. In other words, these haughty gods and their retinues were bound by oath to serve Buddhism. To this day at certain points in the lunar calendar, monks and lamas don ornate robes and a variety of masks and perform meticulously choreographed tantric dances known as "cham" in Tibetan and related dialects. The purpose of these dances is two-fold, first, to pay tribute to the protector deities and the founders of Tibetan style Buddhism who bound them by oath in the first place (Padmasambhava). Secondly the dances invoke the protectors to obliterate obstacles and misfortune that might otherwise trouble the local community.

The mask is old and well used and though condition is generally good, it does show its age. This is mostly in terms of surface wear, in the sense that there is some loss where the paint is concerned, the mask is structurally in good condition with only minor native repairs - for instance the nose has been touched up with some sort of indigenous resin where the surface was eroded. The repair is good though and does not detract from the integrity of the piece. In short overall condition is good with expected signs of age and use.