Mask
Category
Wooden objects
Date
Unknown
Materials
Wood, Paper, Metal
Measurements
190 x 210 mm
Place of origin
Bali
Order this imageCollection
Snowshill Manor and Garden, Gloucestershire
NT 1335624
Caption
This face mask from Bali depicts the mythological ‘Rangda’ (Old Javanese for ‘widow’), the demon Queen of Leyak. She is a harsh, child-eating witch with stiff extended arms and vibrating fingers which display hairy knuckles and six-inch long fingernails. With her loud, rasping voice and wild and erratic gestures, she leads an army of witches against the forces of good (Barong). The mask and costume are worn in traditional Barong dances which are still performed in Bali and depict the battle between good and evil.
Summary
Mask from Bali of carved wood of highly grotesque form having bulbous devil eyes, upturned fangs, protruding teeth and evidence of cardboard swirls to each side of mouth (now missing) all painted in colours of black, red, white and gold. Paper tongue nailed in, torn and part missing. In notebook no.4, page 46 (1340945.4) Charles Wade refers to: 'Seraphim 140. MASKS 23 specimens WAYANG WONG of carved wood, painted, used by actors dancing & singing the classic KAWI RAMAYANA episodes - also in the TOPENG, Local History Plays, BABAD mostly pantomime with dialogue by the comic actors.' Includes sketch of eyes.
Provenance
Given to the National Trust with Snowshill Manor in 1951 by Charles Paget Wade.
References
Wade, 1944: Charles Paget Wade, Contents of Snowshill Manor. Volume 4 First and Second Floor, 1944, page 46