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Central Highlands, Vietnam 10 inches, painted wood, paper, hair This is the first authentic Vietnamese mask I have ever found. Probably from the Yao people, they are rare because indigenous populations of Vietnam are found in the remote central highlands and are small in numbers. Please note that the carved wood is covered with small fragments of colored paper. The use of paper instead of paint, stain, animal skin, etc., is unique. I can not think of any other culture that would use this type of surface treatment.
The shaman
decorate
the mask with this paper for each event, and the old
paper is torn off each time, as the paper
is part of the ritual of
preparing the mask for the ceremony. This
is akin to their ritual
washing of the fabric tassels attached to
the shaman sticks and
bells prior to their use in a new
ceremony.
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