Coremonial mask
Category
Wooden objects
Date
Unknown
Materials
Wood, Buffalo hide, Buffalo skin, Metal
Measurements
680 x 280 x 180 mm
Place of origin
Bali
Order this imageCollection
Snowshill Manor and Garden, Gloucestershire
NT 1335625
Summary
Ceremonial mask from Bali of carved wood, highly grotesque form, bulbous devil eyes upturned fangs, protruding teeth. Flame coloured swirls of buffalo hide to sides nailed to wood, long, painted hide tongue nailed inside and pierced ear lobes. The whole painted in gold, black, red, and white. Hide hanging loop. Written in pencil inside: ‘BALI mask 1938’. 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.
Marks and inscriptions
Inside mask: BALI mask 1938
References
Wade, 1944: Charles Paget Wade, Contents of Snowshill Manor. Volume 4 First and Second Floor, 1944, page 46