Mask Makers Web

Introduction The Celts Rituals Costumes Contemporary References Mummery in America Music Playing Now Bibliography

Added on: May 19, 2002 | Hits: 9097

The Punu reside on the left bank of the Upper Ngoume River and belong to the group of tribes known as Shira which were originally part of the Luango kingdom of Angola. With the Eshira, the Lumbo, the Vili, the Galoa, and the Vungu people, the Punu migrated northwards during the 18th century and settled in the area where they continue to inhabit to this day. They live in independent villages divided into clans and families, and social cohesion is ensured by a society known as Moukouji. Its primary role is to subjugate harmful forest spirits. During Moukouji ceremonies, small masks appear which are covered with white pigments, alluding to their anti-witchcraft functions.

Added on: Mar 30, 2001 | Hits: 9092

carved wood, paint, and kaolin

Added on: Apr 16, 2003 | Hits: 9090

Masks from various parts of India in a new exhibit. A MUST - SEE - SITE ! Fabulous masks, and furthermore excellent site about India. A journey itself REVIEW: Encyclopedia Britannica - India Edition SITE OF THE WEEK (April 3, 2000): "Extensive material on the history, culture, and diversity of India. Includes an album on Mahatma Gandhi, a timeline with links, a picture of the week, an online Faces of India exhibition, information on Indian women, education, art and artifacts, and the Konkani language. Also provides a searchable index."

Added on: Jan 23, 2001 | Hits: 9055

Developed through an unprecedented collaboration between Yup'ik elders and the museum community, Agayuliyararput (Our Way of Making Prayer): The Living Tradition of Yup'ik Masks provides Yup'ik people an opportunity to exhibit stunning examples of their material culture from their own cultural perspective

Added on: Dec 29, 2000 | Hits: 8960

CONFERENCE IN IRELAND APRIL 2003 (Also frontpage story july 2002 )

Added on: Jul 25, 2002 | Hits: 8752

Thimi is also well known for paper masks and clay masks. From tiny to gigantic masks, which are embodiment of the gods, demons and animals, are made in Thimi. In masked dance, when the dancer wears mask, he falls into a trance. Mask is a source of charm and strength in masked dance. Beside in dances, masks are also decorated in house and temple. These days, a mask serves as a excellent piece of souvenir.

Added on: Feb 14, 2003 | Hits: 8704

SCROLL DOWN PAGE. The season of masquerading and merrymaking is called Masopust. This Mardi Gras is celebrated from Epiphany until Ugly Wednesday (Ash Wednesday), mainly in Moravia, but also in parts of Bohemia. Masopust which means ?good-bye to meat? has always been among the most colorful and enthusiastic folklore events of the year.

Added on: Oct 13, 2002 | Hits: 8654

There is a strong belief in masks belonging to souls of ancestors amongst rural population. Mask dancers, who propitiate the spirit and in a state of trance give manifold blessings to the gathered devotees, both heal the sick and entertain spectators. Masks of Siva and Durga (and her manifest form of Shakti) are powerful iconic masks in India. In modern India, mask dances at theatrical and ritualistic levels are thriving well.

Added on: Oct 10, 2002 | Hits: 8578

As the wooden masks and statues of Africa have grown in popularity in the West, the handicraft industry in Angola has sought to meet the demand for African art. The stylized masks and trinkets that are created to catch a tourist's eye are commonly known as "airport art." They are pieces produced in series, to the taste of the average tourist, but lack any real link to the deeper cultural undercurrents of the people.

Added on: Oct 08, 2002 | Hits: 8509

by Jane Odin or our delight, reflection and mild terror, San Geronimo Day brings forth the sacred clowns (koshares), those scary black-and-white-striped mischief-makers who victimize all who happen to catch their ever-searching eyes. Bad attitudes and poor manners are spotted with uncanny accuracy and instantly imitated. Society at large is under the koshares' piercing scrutiny. Sacred clowns of the Hopi and Pueblo peoples, inspired by divine spirits, teach traditional native ways. They form a bridge between the material and spiritual worlds, always contrasting the sublime and the ridiculous. It is said that their antics impact all individuals and organizations within the Pueblo. Complex subject matter at Taos Pueblo this year should make for a busy performance agenda this San Geronimo Day.

Added on: May 20, 2002 | Hits: 8507

These masks are used by the Yaqui and Mayo Indians of Sonora and Sinaloa Mexico in their tribal ceremonies and festivals. The masks are symbolic of animals and people that relate to the ritual they are performing. Masks that have been actually used in the rituals,or "danced" are extremely rare and difficult to find and consequently are very expensive. Our masks have not been "danced", but are carved by the Indian carvers and are authentic masks.

Added on: May 07, 2003 | Hits: 8487

Very nice collection

Added on: Aug 28, 2002 | Hits: 8357

Australian aboriginals

Added on: May 31, 2002 | Hits: 8318

On Tindale's 1953 trip to north west Western Australia he collected a number of tin masks from Port Hedland, in the Pilbara. These ceremonial masks, made from recycled tin, reflect the creative power of Aboriginal cultures.

Added on: May 31, 2002 | Hits: 8311

+ 3 photos Tibetan drama, "Ajilam" in Tibetan language, is an important art of Tibet's brilliant culture and is also a most precious treasure of Chinese dramas. Tibetan drama is a favorable traditional dramatic art of the Tibetans. In the ancient folk religious dance of "jiangme", masks appeared, which is a sign of transition from the religious dance to drama. Masks play a great part in the formation of Tibetan drama.

Added on: Jul 20, 2002 | Hits: 8300

Romania presents cultural events. I took these pictures attending a performance of a Romanian theatre group. When they didn't perform in the pavilion they were out on the streets to entertain visitors.

Added on: Oct 10, 2002 | Hits: 8295

Kalarte Gallery: Latin America

Added on: Aug 05, 2002 | Hits: 8269

The oldest masks are those representing goats, cranes and horses. Other masks represented beggars, devils, witches and death. Today, along with traditional masks, there are modern-day masks depicting robots and astronauts....... Lithuanian-American Community, Inc.

Added on: Oct 13, 2002 | Hits: 8269

Casa corazon

Added on: Nov 17, 2002 | Hits: 8261

IN DANISH.Fin informativ side om fastelavn og karnevalstraditioner. Mange links til traditioner rundt om i verden

Added on: Jan 27, 2002 | Hits: 8253

Description of each characters role. Masks for sale AsianMask.com website is dedicated to introducing cultural heritages through images of masks

Added on: Apr 23, 2001 | Hits: 8252

Very nice informative site with great photos of these spectacular masktraditions. Mardi Gras in rural Southwestern Louisiana draws on traditions that are centuries old. Revelers go from house to house begging to obtain the ingredients for a communal meal. They wear costumes that conceal their identity and that also parody the roles of those in authority. They escape from ordinary life partly through the alcohol many consume in their festive quest, but even more through the roles they portray. As they act out their parts in a wild, gaudy pageant, they are escaping from routine existence, freed from the restraints that confine them every other day in the year. These traditions, folklorists say, go back at least as far as medieval times. The human impulse that underlies Mardi Gras has not diminished today, even if some of the traditions lapsed for decades and even if one factor in their revival by subsequent generations was a desire to enhance tourism. Anyone who has seen the procession of Mardi Gras riders brightly costumed in myriad colors advancing across the drab late-winter countryside is also likely to be swept up in the timeless moment: in rural Acadiana, Mardi Gras lives as much today as it did in centuries past.

Added on: Feb 11, 2003 | Hits: 8251

Kasan Okwangdae was designated as Important Intangible Cultral Property No. 73 in 1980. This consists of 6 acts unlike other Okwangdae. Kasan masks is made of strawboard, Hanji(i.e. Korean traditional paper), gourds, and bamboo baskets. They consist of 23 kinds and 28 pieces of masks, and some of them are used in two or more roles.

Added on: Nov 17, 2002 | Hits: 8243

Of major importance in Kwakiutl myth, Komokwa was King of the Undersea World, Master and Protecter of the Seals, who were a symbol of wealth. His name means "Wealthy One", and he ruled from a great, rich house under the water. His house contained great wealth in blankets, coppers, and other treasures. Many human supplicants of legendary history tried to reach this kingdom and those ancestral heroes who achieved their goal became wealthy and powerful, returning to their home village with magical boxes full of treasure

Added on: May 31, 2002 | Hits: 8242