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Sri Lanka Devil mask (Naga Raska) Sri Lanka 18 inches, painted wood We've categorized this mask as Indian, but Sri Lanka, formerly called Ceylon, in not part of India. The yakun natima, or devil dance ritual of Sri Lanka, is full of drama. Not just a charade designed to entertain, the yakun natima is a carefully crafted ritual with a history reaching far back into Sri Lanka’s pre-Buddhist past. It combines ancient Ayurvedic concepts of disease causation with deft psychological manipulation. Lasting up to twelve hours, it mixes raucous humor with deep-rooted fears to create a healing for patient and community. This particular devil is an older, deeply-carved mask that has seen a lot of use. A collector told me this one with all the cobras is called "Naga Raska."
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