Acrylic Masks

In Greek mythology, the name CARIDDI (Charybdis in English) belonged to a monster that lived in the sea between Calabria and Sicily and destroyed ships by swallowing them up and spitting them back out, generating dangerous whirlpools in the water. This myth is reinterpreted in the form of a mask, which inverts the traditional convex surface to create a concave volume inspired by the underwater world. The mask invites the gaze into the blue depths of its smooth interior, where an uncanny protrusion emerges in the shape of a nose, a signature motif in Giovanni De Francesco’s artistic production. Each nose-island is different from the others; every mask has a unique beauty accentuated by imperfections, smudges, and uncontrollable colors, invoking the unpredictability of fear. This perception overturns the ferocious symbolism of the legendary monster, rewriting CARIDDI as a welcoming narrative. The artist’s explorations of fear, danger, and the unknown become particularly poignant when placed in the recent historical context of Calabria and the Mediterranean Sea. In the exceptional conditions of the present moment, when hundreds of millions of people are spending more time at home than ever before in living memory, the homeware brand TRAME wants to share the inspiring and supportive influences of these Mediterranean ritual objects with the entire world. The masks, whether the traditional forms or the contemporary design interpretations, reveal a sense of both timelessness and contemporaneity in their aspirational evocation of a social life with more serenity and less fear. Details: - Dimension: approximately 28 H x 22 W x 8 D cm - Material: 100% Mediterranean terracotta clay - Technique: 100% handmade in Italy - Each handcrafted CARIDDI Seminara mask is unique. Picture on an indicative basis. - 14-days return policy - In stock Giovanni De Francesco (Bergamo 1976), lives and works between Milan and Paris. He is a visual artist dedicated to sculptural installations through the use of plastic materials, photography, video, painting and sound. Since 1997 he has taken part in many personal exhibits as well as collective ones. He an artistic consultant at the Luisa delle Piane gallery in Milan and is a founding member of the Monstera theatre company. He occasionally collaborates with Andre Branzi...

Ditto potters with Antonio Bonamico. The ceramic masks of Seminara are ostentatious and grotesque, with deliberately frightening features to scare away ...

The Gelede spectacle of the Yoruba is a public display by colorful masks which combines art and ritual dance to amuse, educate and inspire worship. Gelede celebrates “Mothers” (awon iya wa), a group that includes female ancestors and deities as well as the elderly women of the community, and the power and spiritual capacity these women have in society. However, this power may also be destructive and take the form of witchcraft; therefore, Gelede serves the function of appeasing this power, as well. Gelede costume and headdress. Gelede masks...

Collection of Handmade Mexican Folk Art Tin Masks, Mexican, circa 1950s. Each mask is unique and extremely detailed. The largest mask measures 21"...

Circa 1960. We offer this antique set of 8 Mexican papier-mâché masks 100% handmade and paited with anilina (natural pigments).

Large sized Songye Female Kifwebe mask from The Congo circa 1920s. Traditionally, the Kifwebe mask is very symbolic in the Bantu culture of central Africa. Its striking colours and carving symbolise the battle between good and evil. Female Kifwebe masks represent femininity, the continuation of life and a good omen. These masks were used for wedding ceremonies, reproduction rituals and other such occasions. This large mask...

On offer is a Basangwe mask from the Songye people of the Democratic Republic of Congo, circa 1950s. The mask has the typical facial shape of the Basangwe mask. At the top, it has a pair of stylised birds decorated with punched triangles. Their long beaks seem to suggest Hornbill or Kalao bird. The eyes are slanted elongated slits, it has narrow nose and protruding circular mouth in a light russet colour. It has a banded stripe design in black and white more similar to a Songye Kifwebe mask...

This Folk Art cobalt blue mask is a real Venetian creation, entirely hand-drawn and handcrafted with gold decor and white stone. Italian Artists have realized this piece in full res...

This graphic Songye Kifwebe mask has fine carved lines curved over the eyes and diagonal lines radiating from the nose and mouth in classic Kifwebe form. ...

Collection of worldwide traveler's hand carved folk art masks, circa 1940s - 1970s, possibly earlier. We purchased the estate of an Atlanta Coca Cola executive, who traveled the worl...

Large woven painted basketry wall mask Blackwater rivers area, Papua New Guinea. With open expressive mouth and mask fringed with feathers, striking mask that easily hangs on the wal...

Very animated face masks from the 1940s. Three dimensional.