Masks such as this beautiful example are used by animist tribes all over Nepal and parts of Tibet.
A mask such as this could have been used as a spirit house by a traditional Nepalese shaman, but could also have been hung in a family house, where it would have been the house of a benevolent spirit such as a family's ancestor with the task to protect the house and family against intruders such as malevolent spirits and diseases. In any case, it would have been regularly fed with offerings of ghee or wodka and the smoke of incense.
Considering its respectable age, this item is in very good condition. It is made from a dark hard wood which has been treated with natural pigments to attain an even more intense and beautiful dark color, which has further deepened over the years with a glossy patina of ageing. The mask is decorated with dark brown yak hair.
This handcarved mask is approximately 20 centimeters wide and 29 centimeters high. On the backside a simple wallhanging system has been made with a nail and a piece of cotton cord. It might be a good idea to change this for a more sturdy solution.
The exact age of this mask is hard to say, but it can roughly be determined somewhere around the middle of the 20th century, or maybe even a little bit earlier.
