Himalayan Shaman Mask 28 x 17 cm (11 x 7 inches)

Antique Himalayan Shaman Mask 28 x 17 cm (11 x 7 inches)

An antique Himalayan Shaman or Demon Mask from Nepal with two pairs of eyes, carved teeth, pronounced nose and cheeks, ears, and incised lines on the forehead, dating from the 1800s.

There are a number of things that make this mask especially interesting – in particular the second set of plugged eyes close to the forehead.  It is not known if this was originally a four–eyed demon mask or whether the carver thought that the first set were too high on the head and to decided to start again.  If the mask is positioned on the face so that the wearer’s tongue can be pushed through the mouth, then the lower (open) eyes would be in line with his own.  The small hole slightly below and to the side of the eyes is a result of a missing chip of wood from the back (clearly damaged long ago and ignored).

The back of the mask has an unusual carved bar at forehead height, carved from the same single piece of wood.  Its purpose is to create a space to accommodate the wearer’s nose, rather than have it squashed flat against the wood.  Lower down, close to the chin, a flat and rusty iron pin spans an old crack.  It is the custom for tribal communities to maintain and repair important traditional and historic ceremonial masks rather than re-carve them…making this mask all the more important.

This remarkable hardwood mask has considerable character and shows clear evidence of use and age.  It is one of two stylistically similar masks collected together in Nepal in the late 1980s, and is in excellent condition, with a nice patina.