Himalaya | Nepal
Mask – Himalaya
Nepal
Mask
Teraï region, Nepal
19th century or earlier
Carved wood, pigments, hair
Height: 29 cm – 11 ½ in.
Provenance
Collection Eric Chazot, Paris
Collection Alain Bovis, Paris
Publications
“Art Tribal du Nepal”, L’Ile du Démon, Editions Errance, 1981
“Tribal Arts”, vol 2, Winter 1995-1996
“Art Tribal”, N°1, Winter 2002
“L’art Tribal de l’Himalaya dans les collections privées”, Bovis, 2018
Nepalese mask Teraï Errance 29 cm / Galerie FLAK
Price: on request
Masks from Nepal’s Middle Hills and the regions bordering the Himalayas reveal an iconographic diversity steeped in strength and mystery. By the early 20th century, the original purposes of these masks had already faded from memory. Were they representations of ancestors, demons, or mythological figures? The possibilities remain as boundless as the imagination. Their connection to shamanism remains speculative, and their precise ceremonial functions continue to elude us.
These masks serve as tangible witnesses to the intricate web of human, spiritual, and artistic exchanges that have shaped the Himalayas, a crossroads between China and the Indian subcontinent.
Over the centuries, Buddhism, Hinduism, and animist cultures have all left their imprint weaving myths, magico-religious practices, and theatrical elements into the iconography of these masks.
These masks serve as tangible witnesses to the intricate web of human, spiritual, and artistic exchanges that have shaped the Himalayas, a crossroads between China and the Indian subcontinent.
Over the centuries, Buddhism, Hinduism, and animist cultures have all left their imprint weaving myths, magico-religious practices, and theatrical elements into the iconography of these masks.
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