Expressive mask with anthropomorphic features · Indonesia - Timor · ID: 3040237
not available anymore
Provenance
Jo de Buck, Brussels, BelgiumAlain Bovis, Paris, France
Size
H: 22,5 cm
H: 8.9 inch
Description
wood, encrusted greyish brown patina, facial features concentrated on a small area, closely set eyes, a large pierced mouth with three teeth stumps, missing: most part of the nose and area of the upper lip, two old original repairs, breakage/crack, spots along left rim;
mask performances were originally part of the rituals surrounding headhunting. After being suppressed by the Dutch colonial government in the late 19th century, all things associated with headhunting, including mask dances, declined.