Description:

Central Asia, Tibet, ca. mid-20th century CE. An expressive hand-carved wooden festival mask with a fierce countenance comprised of bulging eyes within sunken sockets, a bulbous nose, a gaping mouth filled with huge fangs, drooping ears and lobes, and a crown ornamented with five abstract human skulls. The carefully-formed details of the face are accentuated with thick layers of red, yellow, black, and blue pigment. The deity depicted is Mahakala, the god known as the "Great Black One" or "Great Time." Time is believed to be the destroyer of everything in Tibetan mythology, and is therefore symbolic of death and destruction. Size: 10.625" W x 11.9" H (27 cm x 30.2 cm).

Provenance: ex-Historia Antiques, Santa Monica, California, USA

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#137587

  • Condition: Repairs to small areas of mouth. Minor chipping to obverse, peripheries, and verso, with light encrustations within some recessed areas, and fading to original pigmentation. Light earthen deposits throughout, and nice patina on verso. Strung with modern metal wire for mounting.

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June 20, 2019 7:00 AM MDT
Louisville, CO, US

Artemis Fine Arts

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