**First Time At Auction**

Central Asia, Nepal, ca. early 20th century CE. Carved from a single piece of wood and painted in a vibrant red, black, silver, white, and yellow ochre color scheme, a vibrant Himalayan mask presenting a bold countenance with expressive features such as bulging eyes with slits beneath and arched thick painted brows above, a straight, slightly upturned nose, and an open mouth with ellipse-shaped lips on a red-complexioned face with a decorative band across the forehead. The mask is pierced for suspension at the sides. The Himalayan mask tradition is not as well known as those from Africa or Southeastern Asia, and today some of the original information has been lost due to fading oral traditions. Masks like this one relate to indigenous, animist traditions that developed in the harsh, wild environment of the Himalayas, and so they are often representations of local spirits. They were made to be worn in masquerades, glimpsed through light from lamps burning butter as oil. Size: 8.75" L x 5.375" W (22.2 cm x 13.7 cm)

Provenance: ex-Adeon Gallery, Chicago, Illinois, USA acquired prior to 1970

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#130737

Three old nails visible - one at chin and two at the sides. Normal surface wear with some abraded areas and minor pigment loss as shown. Wired for suspension.