Ceremonial dance mask "hudoq"
Description
light-weigthed wood, greyish brown patina, small remains of white pigment, red and black paint, beak, tapering mouth and chin widely projecting to the front, the mouth originally inset with tusks, the sides provided with wing-shaped appendices, dam. (beak, chin), missing parts (upper rim), cracks, strong abrasion;
the most prestigious type of “hudoq” is the composite dragon-hornbill mask, such as the one seen here. Such masks were worn by young men performing the “hudoq” dance, impersonating spirits who had come down to earth to bless and protect the harvest. The masked dancers would emerge from the forest and converge at the center of the village. Offering seeds believed to contain the soul of the rice to each household, the masked beings brought bountiful rice harvests and bestowed fertility on women. The masks were carefully stored after the agricultural rites, to be painted and decorated anew during the next planting season.