Lord Jagganath mask

Puri, Orissa, India

13 inches, painted papier mache

This highly stylized mask represents Lord Jagannath - a depiction of Lord Krishna, who in turn is an incarnation of Lord Vishnu. Lord Krishna is the main character of the Hindu epic Mahabharata. As Lord Jagganath, he is worshipped in the main temple of Puri, Orissa, where a very popular Hindu religious festival occurs every years. The mask is pictured in the catalog Masks From Around the World, Lancaster Museum of Art, 2002.