Masks
Late 20th Century Japanese Showa Masks
Goat Hair, Wood, Lacquer
Late 20th Century Guinean Tribal Masks
Wood
Mid-20th Century Sierra Leonean Tribal Masks
Wood
1960s French Vintage Masks
Ceramic
20th Century African Masks
Wood
1960s French Vintage Masks
Ceramic
1960s French Vintage Masks
Ceramic
1960s French Vintage Masks
Ceramic
21st Century and Contemporary Japanese Masks
Wood
1940s Vintage Masks
Paper
Late 19th Century Japanese Folk Art Antique Masks
Bronze
Mid-20th Century Japanese Showa Masks
Wood
1970s Indonesian Tribal Vintage Masks
Teak
Early 20th Century Indian Masks
Other
1960s French Vintage Masks
Ceramic
1960s French Vintage Masks
Ceramic
1970s Indonesian Tribal Vintage Masks
Teak
Early 2000s Masks
Brass
20th Century Ghanaian Masks
Wood, Paint
2010s Italian Post-Modern Masks
Art Glass, Murano Glass, Murrine
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Masks
Ceramic
Early 20th Century Nigerian Tribal Masks
Wood
1950s Japanese Vintage Masks
Wood
20th Century African Masks
Lucite, Wood
1920s French Modern Vintage Masks
Textile
Mid-20th Century Congolese Tribal Masks
Wood
1970s Indonesian Tribal Vintage Masks
Teak
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Masks
Terracotta
1960s Mexican Folk Art Vintage Masks
Paper
1960s French Vintage Masks
Ceramic
1960s French Vintage Masks
Ceramic
Early 20th Century Unknown Folk Art Masks
Softwood
20th Century Italian Masks
Composition
2010s Post-Modern Masks
Art Glass, Murano Glass, Murrine
2010s Italian Post-Modern Masks
Art Glass, Murano Glass, Murrine
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Masks
Terracotta
Mid-20th Century Papua New Guinean Tribal Masks
Organic Material
20th Century African Bohemian Masks
Wood
Early 20th Century Indonesian Other Masks
Wood
Early 20th Century Balinese Other Masks
Wood
20th Century Cameroonian Masks
Organic Material
1970s Mexican Folk Art Vintage Masks
Plastic, Paint
19th Century French Baroque Antique Masks
Wood
1970s Indonesian Other Vintage Masks
Teak
Mid-20th Century Congolese Mid-Century Modern Masks
Wood
1950s Japanese Chinoiserie Vintage Masks
Metal
20th Century African Masks
Wood
1980s Mexican Post-Modern Vintage Masks
Aluminum
1990s American Native American Masks
Natural Fiber, Wood
Early 20th Century Japanese Masks
Lacquer
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Masks
Metal
Early 20th Century Masks
Paper
1960s French Vintage Masks
Ceramic
1950s Balinese Folk Art Vintage Masks
Wood
19th Century Indonesian Other Antique Masks
Wood
Mid-20th Century Nigerian Masks
Wood, Paint
Early 20th Century Tribal Masks
Raffia, Hardwood
1960s French Vintage Masks
Ceramic
Antique and Vintage Masks
Today, art enthusiasts and venturesome interior designers find a lot to love and appreciate about antique and vintage masks, particularly as they have earned a distinct place amid a collection of folk art and other collectibles and curiosities in contemporary homes.
Folk art refers to art that people, not classically trained, created for either utilitarian or decorative purposes. With respect to visual art in folk art, it is typically reflective of a community’s culture and usually handmade by craftspeople working within a popular tradition. Masks, as part of this history, have been used in carnivals, theater, medicine, therapy, religion and more. The use of masks in rituals and sacred ceremonies goes back thousands of years, and masks in general are believed to be much older. And all kinds of other uses have been found for masks and face coverings over time. We have enlisted these accessories for protection, to signal modesty, facilitate flirtation, enable licentiousness or simply to look cool.
Archaeologists found a mask in Palestine that is believed to be 9,000 years old, a Neolithic-era stone mask that may have been part of rituals associated with the worship of ancestors. Some tribal masks are worn as an offering to the gods. Masks are among the most important African art forms, for example, and traditional African masks can be used to lend a concrete form to an invisible spirit. Dancers donning wooden tribal masks celebrate important events to honor their deceased ancestors. These masks are also very important devices for storytelling and sharing the oral history of a community.
For Asian artists, specific colors are used in masks to convey different values and ideas. In Japan, a red Oni mask worn by performers during a festival might signify anger, while in China’s Peking Opera, a mask that has been hand-painted gold would be worn by an immortal.
Mexican craftspeople make masks for traditional celebrations and ceremonial dances. Mexican masks are part of the country’s folk-art traditions that go back thousands of years and play a role in festivals and theater. A common symbol of the Mexican holiday Day of the Dead is a skull, which is widely represented in masks (although the innumerable activities associated with the holiday are by no means universal).
We’re inviting you to explore and pay respect to the long folk-art traditions that underpin mask-making by introducing antique and vintage masks to your space. Find an exciting collection on 1stDibs today.