20th Century Hand-Carved Wood Javanese ‘Wayang Topeng’ Theatre Mask, Indonesia

A visibly old mask from the Javanese masks theatre ‘wayang topeng’: carved from hard wood, and painted on the front side. This mask is from Cirebon in Ja...

A visibly old mask from the Javanese masks theatre ‘wayang topeng’: carved from hard wood, and painted on the front side. This mask is from Cirebon in Ja...

A vintage theater mask from Bali, Indonesia, circa 1975-1980. Polychromed hand-carved teak, mounted on a black metal stand. This type of mask is used at Indonesian Topeng or Mas...

Timor Island sculpted wooden traditional mask (circa 1970s) on contemporary metal stand. This is a traditional mask of a figure with male facial features and two holes as eyes and another for the mouth with a handle below the face. The island of Timor gave rise to a distinctive practice of creating traditional masks whose precise origins and significance remain uncertain. Portraying both male and female ancestors, they were held by men during dances and other ceremonies, including celebrations of victory in war. Carved sculptures and masks are specific to rural villages. Here the practice of animism, or nature-worship, is incorporated with the carving of ancestral statues and masks, which have a ritualistic function. Some occasions that call for these ceremonies may include asking for successful crop planting, for prosperity, for good weather...