Paper Masks

An odd trio of mid to late 20th century paper mache masks of ghostly faces. Possibly previously used in a theatre production or the like. Original painted finished, with age relate...

Early 20th Century papier Mache theatre head A charming example of an early 20th century papier Mache French theatre head, in the form of a pig. An age...

Circa 1960. We offer this antique Mexican papier-mâché Jaguar mask 100% handmade and paited with anilina (natural pigments).

Circa 1970. We offer this antique set of 11 Antique Mexican Carnival Kitch Masks 100% handmade.

Vintage pair Venetian Paper Mache masquerade masks. Venetian masquerade masks have always held a sense of mystery; Venetians were famous for concealing...

Papier mâché mask by Belgian artist Sophie de la Pépinière, who loves theater and circus, great decorative object, will bring some fun into your hou...

Popular 1950s Spanish pig head hand painted papier-mâché mask worn during village festivals.  

Popular 1950s Spanish hand painted papier-mâché cock head mask worn during village festivals.

Circa 1960. We offer this antique set of 15 Mexican papier-mâché masks 100% handmade and paited with anilina (natural pigments).

Rare and precious pair of French fans in "papier mâché" and wooden handle; they were made between 1865 and 1870 by a skilled artist in "chinoiserie...

Colorful Mexican papier mâché skull "Cartoneria 'Day of the Dead by Enrique Linares Signed: "Enrique Linares M Mexico D. F". The Linares family are con...

Chiefly Feasts: The Enduring Kwakiutl Potlatch by Aldona Jonaitis. American Museum of Natural History; University of Washington Press, New York and Seattle, 1991. 1st Ed paperback. 300 pages, 132 large, mostly full-page color photographs and 86 b/w of 19th and 20th century Kwakiutl art in the museum's collections. Published to accompany the exhibition held at the American Museum of Natural History, October 1991 to February 1992; Royal British Columbia Museum, June to November 1992; California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco, January to August, 1993; National Museum of Natural History, October 1993 to March 1994; and Seattle Art Museum, May to September 1994. a traveling exhibition of boldly designed Kwakiutl ceremonial objects which recently opened at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. The potlatch, a festive gathering marked by the lavish distribution of gifts to guests as a sign of the host's status, is central in the tradition of the Kwakiutl of Vancouver Island and the mainland. Ritualistic simulated cannibalism was a feature of some potlatches, which led to the Canadian government's outlawing of the ceremony in 1884. The Kwakiutl continued to potlatch furtively until the ban was rescinded in 1951. Dramatic masks, symbolic wall paintings, headdresses, feast dishes and blankets are among the objects reproduced, together with archival and contemporary photographs attesting to the persistence of the potlatch tradition. Essays by scholars discuss Kwakiutl ritual dance, analyze the social significance of potlatch and reveal how anthropologist Franz Boas...