Masks
1950s Congolese Tribal Vintage Masks
Hardwood
Mid-20th Century Indonesian Other Masks
Wood
Early 20th Century Indonesian Other Masks
Wood
1970s African Vintage Masks
Wood
1950s Angolan Tribal Vintage Masks
Hardwood
Mid-20th Century Papua New Guinean Tribal Masks
Natural Fiber, Acrylic
Early 20th Century Chinese Tribal Masks
Wood
Mid-20th Century Sierra Leonean Tribal Masks
Wood
20th Century Ivorian Masks
Fur, Wood
1990s African Folk Art Masks
Wood
20th Century Cameroonian Masks
Wood
Mid-20th Century Congolese Mid-Century Modern Masks
Ceramic, Terracotta
15th Century and Earlier Peruvian Pre-Columbian Antique Masks
Gold
20th Century Indonesian Masks
Wood
Mid-20th Century Congolese Masks
Copper
1950s Cameroonian Vintage Masks
Korhogo Cloth, Natural Fiber, Raffia, Beads
Mid-20th Century Congolese Masks
Shell, Burlap, Wood
1930s Malian Folk Art Vintage Masks
Shell, Wood
Late 19th Century Nepalese Tribal Antique Masks
Wood
1960s Congolese Vintage Masks
Wood
2010s Turkish Classical Greek Masks
Statuary Marble
1970s Malian Vintage Masks
Wood
20th Century Masks
Glass, Wood
1970s Nicaraguan Folk Art Vintage Masks
Metal, Wire
Early 20th Century Congolese Masks
Copper
Mid-20th Century Austrian Mid-Century Modern Masks
Ceramic, Pottery, Terracotta
20th Century African Masks
Wood
Mid-20th Century Spanish Masks
Paper
1950s African Vintage Masks
Wood
1950s Ivorian Folk Art Vintage Masks
Wood
1960s French Vintage Masks
Ceramic
Early 20th Century Cameroonian Masks
Cotton, Beads
Mid-20th Century Ivorian Tribal Masks
Wood
1960s French Vintage Masks
Ceramic
20th Century African Masks
Wood
1970s African Vintage Masks
Wood
1970s Vintage Masks
Wood
1970s African Vintage Masks
Wood
20th Century Beninese Masks
Hardwood
Mid-20th Century Ivorian Tribal Masks
Wood
Early 20th Century Nepalese Tribal Masks
Wood
Mid-20th Century Nigerian Tribal Masks
Wood
20th Century African Masks
Wood
20th Century African Masks
Wood
2010s Post-Modern Masks
Art Glass, Murano Glass, Murrine
1960s French Mid-Century Modern Vintage Masks
Plaster
1890s American Folk Art Antique Masks
Wood
1960s American Vintage Masks
Paper
Mid-20th Century Papua New Guinean Tribal Masks
Stone
1990s Balinese Folk Art Masks
Wood
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Masks
Leather
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Masks
Metal
1960s French Vintage Masks
Ceramic
Early 20th Century Ivorian Masks
Wood
20th Century American Masks
Wood, Paint
21st Century and Contemporary French Modern Masks
Ceramic
Mid-20th Century Indian Masks
Wood
Mid-20th Century Belgian Masks
Ceramic
Early 20th Century Chinese Tribal Masks
Wood
15th Century and Earlier Ecuadorean Pre-Columbian Antique Masks
Gold
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.