"Erlang Shen" mask of the "Nuo" opera
China
sold
EUR 2,200
Provenance
Werner Zintl, Worms, Germany (acquired in a Paris gallery in 2008)Size
H: 37 cm
H: 14.6 inch
Description
wood, two-piece, coloured pigments, boar tusks, base
This mask shows a fearsome face with bulging eyeballs and a piercing gaze. The lower jaw, studded with boar tusks, is movable so that the mouth can be wide opened.
“Erlang Shen” is a Taoist protective deity and is considered the nephew of the Jade Emperor in Chinese mythology. He is known for his third truth-seeing eye in the middle of his forehead. He is also sometimes regarded as a deity of water or a powerful god of war.