A Gallery of World Masks : Lots of PICS and LINKS

[Generic Other]

The Mardi Gras Mask Project

On October 15th, 24 DU artists will be auctioning off handmade masks to benefit Gulf Coast DUers hit hard by Hurricane Katrina. Auction items will be available for bidding on October 8.



Until then, take a look at some cool masks and mask making traditions around the world starting with the Mardi Gras Indians, the inspiration for our auction project:


Mardi Gras Indians

"Mardi Gras Indians are secretive because only certain people participated in masking -- people with questionable character."
- Larry Bannock, President,
New Orleans Mardi Gras Indian Council

Mardi Gras is full of secrets and the Mardi Gras Indians are as much a part of that secret society as any other carnival organization. The Mardi Gras Indians are comprised, in large part, of the blacks of New Orleans' inner cities. They have paraded for well over a century...yet their parade is perhaps the least recognized Mardi Gras tradition. http://www.mardigrasneworleans.com/mardigrasindians/

Wild Magnolias

Big Chief Bo Dollis







http://www.mardigrasdigest.com/Sec_mgind/
http://www.houstonculture.org/cr/indians.html
http://www.wildmagnolias.net/

Wild West Mardi Gras Indian Video
http://www.wwoz.org/html/story_indians_wwest_video.html

Mardi Gras Photos
http://www.mardigrasneworleans.com/photogallery/gallery_nitsche/index.html


Miss Kitty's Voodoo Masks

http://www.folkart.com/catalog/misskitty_464328_products.htm

What the World Creates by Hand
http://www.novica.com/

Original Tribal masks are often seen by unknowing eyes as art objects in themselves. That is not the case, unless of course they are modern copies. A tribal mask has embued power and is alive during the ceremony for which it is used. http://www.mask-and-more-masks.com/tribal-masks.html

African masks
Benin Ivory mask


Benin head
http://media.metmuseum.org/mgen/metzoom/zoom.ms?

Dan mask, Liberia


Kwese mask, Zaire


Chokwe mask, East Angola


Face mask, Ghana


http://www.eling.nl/go.html (great mask viewing music)
http://www.metmuseum.org/Works_Of_Art/viewOne.asp?dep=5&viewMode=0&item=1978.412.323
http://www.mama.org/masks/
http://www.novica.com/art/masks/index.cfm?c=34&l=3

Central and Southern America have a rich masking history. One of the earliest examples dates from 10000 to 12000 BC. It is a fossilised vertebra of an extinct lama representing the head of a coyote. More recent records begun during the conquest of the area, contemporary excavations combined with murals by the indigenous people reveal an array of styles and uses. Most of the surviving masks are apparently burial masks. Often they are carved from some form of rock or made form clay. Skull masks, some jade encrusted, have also been excavated. These are believed to hold the spirits of gods or ancestors and when captured from an enemy take away power. http://www.mask-and-more-masks.com/American-Masks.html

Mexican folk masks


Bat Mask


Demon mask


Bead Mask


http://www.statemuseum.arizona.edu/coll/maskstxt.shtml
http://www.mexicanmasks.us/


The masks of the Pacific West Coast of North America are a reflection of the lifestyle, mythology and religious beliefs of the indigenous people. Here you will come across several distinct tribes, the most well known being; Haida, Kwakwaka'wakw ( or Kwakiult ), Tsimshian, Tlingit, Bella Bella, Nuu-chah-Nulth and Makah. The artistic style of these peoples has a commonality in the use of curved symbolry which occurs within pictures of people and creatures, both real and mythological and surface decoration. Here there are rich formalised traditions developed over many centuries to expressing the individuality of the area. http://www.mask-and-more-masks.com/American-Masks.html

Northwest Coast masks,Canada Haida woman

Haida Moon mask

http://www.civilization.ca/aborig/haida/haama01e.html

Yu'pik mask, Alaska


http://www.mnh.si.edu/arctic/features/yupik/


Noh Masks are created for theatrical productions. Noh Theatre can be traced back to two great actors in the 14th and 15th century. Kan'ami (1333 - 84) and his son Zeami (1363 - 1443). They took the form from the Dengaku religious plays with influences from China and Buddhist liturgy plus Bugaku dances. From these roots the two actors formalised the drama that is performed today.

The performances were austere, based very strongly upon the Zen Buddhist principles of , restraint, understatement, economy of movement and frugality of expression. http://www.mask-and-more-masks.com/noh-masks.html

Japanese Noh Mask
O-kame mask






http://www.irc.atr.jp/~mlyons/Noh/noh_mask.html
http://www.pasar5.com/NOH_MASK/


Shamanic mask, Nepal


http://www.asianart.com/articles/murray/
Balanese bird mask


Venetian Carnivale mask
Venice is famed for "Carnival di Venezia." One of the oldest carnivals believed to have started in the 11th Century. In 1436 mask makers or mascareri were granted with their own guild. From that point Carnival went from strength to strength building up to be the focal point of many peoples social calendar.


The name Carnival comes from "carne" or meat. In the Christian calendar the time after Shrove Tuesday was when lent began and many people gave up eating meat and other good things for 40 days.


In the earlier years Carnival began at Christmas and lasted until Shrove Tuesday. A fact reflected in the carnivals in Brazil and Louisiana. Wearing masks for disguise reached was at its height in the 18th Century. Venetians used Carnival to mingle and even to trade sexual favours. Recognition whilst wearing a mask was unlikely and the commoner could mix with the higher social classes. A great time was had by all participants.


Napoleon's and his troops ended the Venetian Republic in 1797. It is difficult to accept that the first modern mask shop was opened as recently as 1978, re-establishing the traditions of Carnival.


There are several categories of Venetian mask


Commedia dell'Arte masks like Harlequin and Pierrot.


Fantasy masks some inspired by older designs.


Traditional Venetian masks - white volto half-mask with nose cover -plague doctor's mask with its phallic beak. Both apparently used to protect wearers from the plague. http://mask-and-more-masks.com/Venetian.html







http://www.venicemaskshop.com/
http://www.angel-mask.com/birdmask.htm
http://www.masksvenetian.com/page/masks


CEO masks



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ttp://www.forbes.com/2003/10/28/cx_mh_1028billiemasks.html

Dead Celebrities








http://www.forbes.com/2003/10/28/cx_mh_1028deadcelebmasks.html

Great American Death Masks
Washington


Benjamin Franklin
http://www.harpers.org/art/archive/DeathMa

Thomas Paine


Abraham Lincoln


http://www.harpers.org/AmericanDeathMasks.html

Masks of the Goddess

Pele


White Tara


Amaterasu


http://www.rainewalker.com/masksofgoddess.htm

Party Masks


Making Masks
http://www.bampfa.berkeley.edu/exhibits/tiepolo/masks.html

[Generic Other]

1. Kick for mask awareness!!

:kick:

[NMMNG]

2. Fantastic links!

Thanks Generic Other!

[Generic Other]

3. kick

:kick:

[tigereye]

4. wow

I love masks! Maybe I should make one! Great thread, BTW, I am going to save this thread.

:thumbsup:

[Generic Other]

5. The links are really interesting

Some incredible mask making traditions in the world.