Welcome to Masks of the World

These masks are from my personal collection. Some were in Masks from Around the World, a show at the Lancaster Museum of Art held in 2002. There are about 250 masks for sale here and they can be viewed by first selecting a category on the left. 

You will find that some of the masks are marked "sold." I often leave them on the site for the benefit of school children who visit the site for world culture or art projects.

When possible, each mask is labeled with the following information: its use, cultural origins, size, construction materials, and price. The size dimension is from top to bottom. For more information, please feel free to email us.

As a graphic designer who has pursued painting and sculpture as hobbies, my attraction to these objects was purely aesthetic in the beginning. I saw the masks as wonderful examples of painted sculpture. As my collection grew, I became interested in how a mask was used, what it represented, its history, and other stories that surround these objects.

When understood in their cultural context, the masks became even more appealing. In many communities, masks played a major role in rites of passage and in spiritual rituals, often as symbols of victory in war or of dominion over nature. Masks are also used for theater, movies, and during holiday celebrations. Some masks are more mysterious, such as those produced by secret societies that make us wonder about the masks creator, wearer, and its purpose.

The collection is unique as it also includes modern protective masks used for sports and specialized work. Thought to be purely utilitarian, they can alter a human face with a statement of confidence or aggression. 

We hope you will peruse some of the different cultural categories and their individual mask pages, and in so doing, experience your own virtual journey around the world.

Bob Ibold