Character mask

Dieng Mountains, Java, Indonesia

9.5 inches, painted wood

Slightly larger than the typical character mask, this old carving has been repainted several times and now has a very attractive patina. There is considerable paint loss, especially at the end of the nose.

This kind of mask generally comes from the Dieng mountains located in Central Java and would have been owned by a topeng dance group from a small village. There are still some villages in the mountains that are quite isolated from the modern world, and where they are still practicing the dance rituals. Typically a group will travel to entertain in other villages that don’t have their own dance troupe.

$285