Masks
Early 1900s Mexican Antique Masks
Copper
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Masks
Ceramic
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Masks
Ceramic
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Masks
Ceramic
Mid-20th Century Italian Baroque Masks
Ceramic
20th Century Congolese Masks
Wood
20th Century Congolese Masks
Wood, Beads
1950s Ivorian Tribal Vintage Masks
Wood
1940s Mexican Tribal Vintage Masks
Wood
1960s Italian Folk Art Vintage Masks
Ceramic, Pottery
1960s French Vintage Masks
Ceramic
Mid-20th Century Ivorian Tribal Masks
Wood
Late 20th Century Primitive Masks
Metal
1940s Mexican Folk Art Vintage Masks
Wood
20th Century Congolese Tribal Masks
Wood
Early 20th Century Indonesian Other Masks
Wood
Early 20th Century Chinese Tribal Masks
Organic Material, Wood, Paper
1960s French Vintage Masks
Ceramic
Early 19th Century European Georgian Antique Masks
Bronze
1970s Mexican Folk Art Vintage Masks
Wood
Mid-20th Century Tribal Masks
Wood
Mid-20th Century Congolese Masks
Shell, Burlap, Wood
Mid-20th Century Congolese Masks
Copper
20th Century Malian Folk Art Masks
Shell, Wood
1950s Ivorian Folk Art Vintage Masks
Wood
Early 20th Century Ivorian Masks
Wood
1930s Malian Folk Art Vintage Masks
Shell, Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Masks
Ceramic
20th Century Angolan Masks
Wood
1970s Nicaraguan Folk Art Vintage Masks
Metal, Wire
20th Century Liberian Folk Art Masks
Wood, Paint
Mid-20th Century Congolese Folk Art Masks
Wood, Bamboo
Mid-19th Century Japanese Arts and Crafts Antique Masks
Stone, Lava
1970s Mexican Tribal Vintage Masks
Wood, Paint
20th Century Masks
Wood
Early 20th Century Nigerian Tribal Masks
Wood, Paint
Early 20th Century Nigerian Tribal Masks
Wood
Mid-20th Century Congolese Folk Art Masks
Wood, Paint
Mid-20th Century Congolese Tribal Masks
Wood, Paint
Late 19th Century French Antique Masks
Iron
1970s Ghanaian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Masks
Wood
20th Century American Modern Masks
Ceramic
Mid-20th Century Congolese Tribal Masks
Wood, Paint
1940s French Mid-Century Modern Vintage Masks
Paper
20th Century Guatemalan Folk Art Masks
Wood, Paint
1920s French Early Victorian Vintage Masks
Canvas
Late 19th Century European Antique Masks
Pine
Mid-20th Century Ivorian Tribal Masks
Metal, Bronze
Mid-20th Century Cameroonian Tribal Masks
Wood
Mid-20th Century Ivorian Tribal Masks
Wood, Paint
Mid-20th Century Balinese Masks
Wood, Paint
Mid-20th Century Gabonese Tribal Masks
Wood
Mid-20th Century Congolese Mid-Century Modern Masks
Ceramic, Terracotta
20th Century African Masks
Wood
1950s Burkinabe Tribal Vintage Masks
Wood
1950s Burkinabe Tribal Vintage Masks
Wood
Mid-20th Century Balinese Masks
Wood, Paint
Mid-20th Century Balinese Masks
Wood, Paint
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.