Sickness Demon Mask

Sri Lanka

8 inches, painted wood

Q: I have done some research and thought it might be a Balinese clown since they are apparently often 'deformed.'  Melanie, 1-25-12

A:  It's from a much different island-- Sri Lanka. A character called Hevaya used in the purely dramatic Kolam Natrina, he was a soldier of the King on his way back from the wars (hence the cuts on his face an broken teeth). Stopping by a pool to wash the blood off his face, he is attacked by leeches. At first I thought it was a deformity mask, but someone who knows more about Sri Lankan culture wrote in.