Ceremonial dance mask "hudoq"
Description
light wood, white, red and black pigment, cord, eyes with mirror glass, conical rattan bonnet with feathers, ornamental side projections with inserted horns and ear ornaments (strips of fabric with brass rings), ornamentally painted, slightly dam., vertical crack (from the nose to the chin), nose rep.(?), abrasion of paint, water spots, base;
rice is the most important staple food in Southeast Asia. Dance festivals were held shortly after sowing to ensure the proper growth of young rice plants. Young men wearing painted masks would perform the “hudoq” dance, impersonating spirits who had come down to earth to bless and protect the harvest. The masks were carefully stored after the agricultural rites, to be painted and decorated anew during the next planting season. The most prestigious type of “hudoq” is the composite dragon-hornbill mask, such as the one seen here.