Japanese Asian Hand-Carved Wood Kitsune Fox or Inu Dog Mask Folk Art Sculpture
Located in Studio City, CA
Japanese Inu (dog) Shinto Kagura masks appear far less frequently than fox, demon, or lion masks and are even more rare.
Wood
Japanese Kagura Noh Theater Mask, Early 1900s
Located in Studio City, CA
A rather wonderful, albeit a little frightening, Japanese Kagura mask, clearly made for and used by a Japanese Noh theater actor.
Lacquer, Wood
Sold
H 16 in W 9 in D 6.5 in
Japanese Kagura Dance Mask of Sarutahiko by Kiyomi Yokota, Late 20th Century
Located in Austin, TX
A bold and powerful kagura mask of the Shinto deity Sarutahiko Okami by Kiyomi Yokota, Showa or Heisei Era, late 20th century, Japan.
Goat Hair, Wood, Lacquer
Sold
H 16.5 in W 12 in D 5 in
Japanese Kagura Dance Mask of Omoikane by Kiyomi Yokota, Late 20th Century
Located in Austin, TX
A powerful Japanese kagura mask of the deity Omoikane y Kiyomi, Showa or Hesei Era, late 20th century, Japan.
Goat Hair, Wood, Lacquer
Three Japanese Carved Wood Theatrical Masks
Located in Seattle, WA
JD02010 $4,400. Mask 3 (right): Japanese mask carved of Hyottoko, a character featured in traditional Kagura performances.
Wood
$800
H 12.6 in W 7.09 in D 7.88 in
Japanese Antique Tengu's Face / Objet / 1868-1912s / Wabi-sabi Mingei
Located in Shizukuishi-cho, Iwate-gun, Iwate Prefecture
This is the old Tengu surface that was used in the Kyushu region of Japan. It is thought to be from around the Meiji period. Tengu noodles are said to be an amulet, a blessing, and...
Wood
Antique Japanese Noh theatre Carved Painted Wooden Ko-Omote Mask
Located in Forney, TX
A scarce antique Japanese Noh theatre hand carved and painted wooden mask of Ko-Omote. Sculpted in Japan in the 19th century, Ko-omote (literally “small face”) Noh masks are used fo...
Cypress, Paint
$2,495
H 7 in W 6 in D 4 in
Japanese Antique Edo Meiji Signed Wood Noh Theater Oni Demon Mask 19th Century
Located in Studio City, CA
A truly beautiful, wonderfully aged, engaging mask fragment made for Japanese Noh theater. The naturally faded beauty and unique character drew us to this mask immediately. The mas...
Wood
Antique Japanese Zō-onna Noh Theatre Mask, Carved Wood and Polychrome
Located in Nottingham, GB
A finely carved Japanese Zō-onna Noh theatre mask dating to the late Meiji period, expertly fashioned from a single block of hinoki (Japanese cypress) and finished with delicate poly...
Wood
$1,495
H 8 in W 5.75 in D 4.25 in
Japanese Signed Showa Hand Carved Wood Noh Theater Mask of Demon Hashihime 橋姫
Located in Studio City, CA
A beautiful, wonderfully crafted, grotesquely alluring mask made for Japanese Noh theatre. The mask is handcrafted and hand-carved from natural wood and is signed by the maker. Th...
Wood, Paint
$595
H 8 in W 7 in D 6 in
Indonesian Asian Javanese Hand Carved Painted Wood Jaguar or Mythical Cat Mask
Located in Studio City, CA
A beautiful hand carved, crafted and hand painted wood Indonesian jaguar/panther mythical cat ceremonial mask (perhaps a traditional Balinese I Wayan Muka mask). These masks are ge...
Wood, Paint
$1,950
H 18.25 in W 14.35 in D 7.25 in
Massive Wood Antique Japanese Noh Drama Mask in Wabi Sabi Style
Located in Bridgeport, CT
Extraordinary 19th Century hand carved wood mask believed to have once been a dramatic Noh Drama piece likely representing a giant or demon. The mask with expressive grimacing face ...
Wood
$1,495
H 10 in W 14.5 in D 9.5 in
Japanese Asian Wood Shi Shi Shishi Mai Lion Dance Gashira Noh Mask Sculpture
Located in Studio City, CA
A wonderful, beautifully crafted Japanese festival Shishi Lion Dance (Shishi Mai) mask (Gashira). The shishi mask represents a mythical lion that protects and purifies the region...
Wood, Lacquer, Paint
$4,500
H 7.7 in W 5.7 in D 2.1 in L 7.7 in
Japanese Antique Edo Hand Carved Wood Noh Theater Mask Otobide 17th-18th Century
Located in Studio City, CA
A truly beautiful, wonderfully aged, alluring mask made for Japanese Noh theater. The naturally faded beauty and unique character drew us to this mask immediately. The mask is hand...
Wood, Lacquer, Paint
Antique Jaguar Mask — Traditional Mexican Carving
Located in Mexico City, CDMX
Antique Mexican mask hand-carved in wood, depicting the powerful face of a jaguar—one of the most significant and symbolic animals in the ritual traditions of Mesoamerica. The piece...
Wood
$1,180
H 8.67 in W 5.91 in D 1.97 in
Japanese Hannya (般若) Noh Mask. Attributed to Takada Fuki (高田 冨季, 1935–2008)
Located in Fukuoka, JP
Hannya (般若) Noh Mask attributed to Takada Fuki (高田 冨季, 1935–2008) Mask: Hannya (般若) SKU: TBA19 Size: W: 15cm, H: 22 cm (W/horns 25cm) The Hannya mask represents a female demon who...
Wood
$1,250
H 8.5 in W 5 in D 3 in
Japanese Signed Hand Carved Wood Noh Theater Mask of Chujo, Early Showa Period
Located in Studio City, CA
A beautiful, wonderfully crafted, alluring mask made for Japanese Noh theatre. The mask is handcrafted and hand-carved from natural wood and is signed by the maker, clearly a mast...
Wood, Paint
Vintage Hand-Carved Balinese Demon Mask with Articulated Jaw
Located in Delray Beach, FL
This striking hand-carved Balinese demon mask is an authentic example of traditional Indonesian ritual craftsmanship, carved from solid wood and constructed to be worn in performance...
Fur, Wood
Japanese Wood Bugaku Mask of Korobase Edo Period
Located in Atlanta, GA
A striking Japanese carved wood mask with polychrome paint and lacquer surface. This rare mask is dated to the Edo period (first half of 19th century and possibly earlier). The mask ...
Wood, Lacquer, Paint
Balinese Carved Wood Mask with Articulated Mouth Wall Decor
Located in Tampa, FL
Mid 20th century Balinese ceremonial mask, hand carved from solid wood and richly hand painted. This highly decorative example features articulated moving parts, including a hinged m...
Wood
Mid-20th Century Hand-Carved Balinese Mask, Metal and Wood, 1950
Located in Bruxelles, BE
Indonesian mask carved from wood and decorated with polychrome pigments, attributed to Bali and associated with the traditional Topeng dance theatre, probably dating from the 20th ce...
Metal
Testa Di Fauno Statue
By Fonderia Artistica Ruocco
Located in Milan, IT
This exquisite piece represents the head of a bearded faun, clearly depicted with his goat horns and elongated ears. The faun was the Roman equivalent of the ancient Greek satyr, a m...
Marble, Bronze
$2,797
H 37.41 in W 47.25 in D 9.85 in
Monumental Sergio Bustamante 'Sol Eclipse' Papier Mâché Wall Sculpture, 1997
By Sergio Bustamante
Located in Benalmadena, ES
Monumental wall-mounted sculpture executed in painted papier-mâché by Mexican artist Sergio Bustamante (b. 1949). Titled "Sol Eclipse" (Solar Eclipse), this large-scale composition f...
Paper
$860
H 28 in W 27 in D 7.5 in
Antique Black Forest Folk Art Alpine Devil Dwarf Wooden Carved Mask, 1930s
Located in Nuernberg, DE
Beautiful black forest Folk Art wood carved mask. This is a wonderful example of black forest carving. This can be used as a Wall decoration or as a wearable mask. Found at an estate...
Wood
19th Century Japanese Meiji Iki mask
Located in London, GB
19th Century Japanese Meiji Iki mask A Japanese Meiji period Iki mask dated from the late 19th Century, depicting a dynamic expressive human face, with glass eyes and hair and a burn...
Gesso, Wood
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.
At Waddesdon Manor, artist Joana Vasconcelos has installed a three-tiered patisserie inspired by the narrative tile work of her homeland. We take a look at the cake sculpture and how Portuguese tiles have been used in architecture from the 17th century to today.
The streets of fin-de-siècle Paris were set aglow with colorful poster ads, thanks to the printing techniques invented by Jules Chéret. Now, the Milwaukee Art Museum is celebrating this undersung talent in America's first solo show dedicated his exuberant works.
Expert Jeff Bridgman explains the history and meaning behind the twinkling constellations that have graced Old Glory.
The iconoclastic style setter displayed African and Oceanic art, as well as works by indigenous peoples of the Americas, alongside pieces by such major modernists as Pablo Picasso and Jackson Pollock.
Perfect for July 4th weekend, a new show at Philadelphia's Museum of the American Revolution displays an array of antique red, white and blue flags.
Designers are beginning to see this enigmatic form of folk art in a whole new light.