A group of three polychromed wood animal masks

TIBET, 18TH/19TH CENTURY

Details

A group of three polychromed wood animal masks
Tibet, 18th/19th century
Including a lion with large brows and a mane of curled fur, a deer surmounted by antlers, and a ram with spiraling horns, each finely painted with bared teeth and tongue, and bulging eyes
14 in. (35.6 cm.), the tallest (3)

Provenance

Private collection, Europe, acquired in Paris, 10 October 1990

Lot Essay

Representing deities or historical figures, Tibetan ritual masks would have been worn by dancers in ceremonies to help rid the community of evil spirits, or placed near altars to function as ritual objects. Compare with examples in Rossi & Rossi, Facing the Music: Masks from the Himalayas, and L. Bradley, Masks of the Himalayas.

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