Important Notice

Wood

20th century
Himachal Pradesh

Height: 9 in (22.9 cm)
Width: 5.5 in (14 cm)
Depth: 2 in (5.1 cm)



Masks have played an important part in each and every culture of the world, and have been used for ceremonial, ornamental and practical purposes for several centuries. From protection to performance and disguise to dalliance, the use of masks is an ancient practice. The oldest masks known, held by museums in Paris and Jerusalem, are approximately 9000 years old, although masks have been identified in Palaeolithic cave paintings as well.

In most primitive societies, masks are used to invoke the spirit of the deity they are supposed to represent. In a number of tribes, they are worn as a part of ritual dances or narrative story telling traditions. Sometimes masks also perform the task of warding off the 'evil eye' and protecting the owner. According to Gary Edson, masks, whether practical, performative or ritual, have played a critical role in the development of understandings about "what it means to be human", by allowing the wearer to experience "what it is like" a different identity (Masks and Masking: Faces of Tradition and Belief Worldwide, McFarland & Co., Jefferson, 2005).

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