Middle Hills mask. Middle Hills mask.Himlayan primitive grimanche male mask. Nepalese male mask. ETHNOFLORENCE COLLECTION AND PHOTO ARCHIVE.

ETHNOFLORENCE

INDIAN AND HIMALAYAN

FOLK AND TRIBAL ARTS

March 22, 2009

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Himalayan primitive grimanche male mask

Hard natural patinated red – dark wood

Traces of natual pigments between the teeth

Himalayan grimanche male mask frontal view.

Frontal view detail.

 Frontal view detail.

Frontal view detail.

Side A view .

Side A view detail.

Side B view.

Side B view detail.

Back side view. The style of the mask is ‘cut’ following the nature and knots of the wood.

Back side view detail.

The grimanche style of this mask is comparable with the  analogus expression of a small votive (?) Himalayan sculpture.

 

Side and frontal view.

Frontal view detail.

Side A view detail.

Frontal view detail.

Side B view detail.

Frintal view detail.

Ethnoflorence has edited four Western Himalayan (?) masks, in the same style, from the same hand or workship, surely from the same remote and unknown village, in which is common the grimanche style of the mouth, 

Comparative mask n1.

Comparative mask n2.

Comparative mask n3.

 

Comparative mask n4.

The mask n4, the more complex from an iconographic view point has a double ambiguos  expression of the mouth, a detail really interesting and rarely seen in other masks of the region.

 If the actor covers the upper part of the mouth obtains a ridicolous expression with two deformed teeth (we can re-find this kind of exagerate phisic  deformation in many masks of the Terai region).

 

But if the actor covers the lower part of the mouth, the mask becomes terryfing with it’s aggressive teeth. 

This second expression of the teeth is common also with the other three masks of the group in which we can find only one kind of  aggressive expression.

About the theory that some of the so called “tribal” or “primitive” masks of the Himalaya could be represent something of symbolic and atypic, about the “narrateur bouffon”, a kind of  mask that can makes one laugh, but also make one scared, on : Himalaya masques” Galerie Le Toit du Monde Paris, Editions Findakly 2007, there is an interesting writing “Travestissements A propos des masques dits – primitifs-” by Ms Gisèle Krauskopff.

 Among the masks edited  in this catalogue also the n.64 pag.108 is in my opinion an ambigous mask with a double expression of the mouth. Wrathful expression in the above part of the mouth and a long tongue in the belower.

Another interesting male grimanche primitive mask is edited by Ethnoflorence in the same web  page.

Comparative mask n.5 . 

The grimanche style of the mouth is present also in an interesting mask of the South Nepal 

Comparative mask n6.

 The ritual (?) items on the left side of the mask are the same present in a “Coiffe de chaman” of the Musée de la Castree collection of Cannes (N. inv. 991.19.1), and edited  on “Voyages immobiles, trente ans d’acquisitions d’art primitif du Musée de la Castre” pag. 60.

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Middle Hills masks. Four Western Nepal (?) primitive masks. Himalayan tribal masks. Ethoflorence collection and photo archive.

Four Western Himalayan (?) masks, in the same style, from the same hand or workship, surely from the same remote and unknown village. Quatre masques  de L’Himalaya Occidental, de la même main . Vier Westliche Himalajamaskes, von derselben Hand . Cuatro máscaras Occidental del Himalaya, de la misma mano. Четыре Западных Гималайских маска, от той же руки . 同じ手または村からの4つの西部のヒマラヤマスク。Quattro maschere della regione occidentale dell’Himalaya, da un confronto degli elementi stitlistici propri di ciascuna si può dedurre provengano certamente dallo stesso remoto villaggio, siano probabilmente opera della stessa mano o dello stesso contesto artigiano.

ETHNOFLORENCE COLLECTION AND PHOTO ARCHIVE.

These masks were collected at the end of the 80′ like a single group in the Katmandu market.

 It’s maybe the first time that is possible to see toghether a group of  “primitive” masks used in the same dance performances.

The mask n1, the more complex from an iconographic view point has a double ambiguos  expression of the mouth, a detail really interesting and rarely seen in other masks of the region.

Mask n1, frontal view

Assimetric style of the face, double expression of the mouth.

 Ambiguos mask in which there is a double expression of the face.

 If the actor covers the upper part of the mouth obtains a ridicolous expression with two deformed teeth (we can re-find this kind of exagerate phisic  deformation in many masks of the Terai region).

But if the actor covers the lower part of the mouth, the mask becomes terryfing with it’s aggressive teeth. 

This second expression of the teeth is common also with the other three masks of the group in which we can find only one kind of  aggressive expression.

 About the theory that some of the so called “tribal” or “primitive” masks of the Himalaya could be represent something of symbolic and atypic, about the “narrateur bouffon”, a kind of mask that can makes one laugh, but also make one scared, on “Himalaya masques” Galerie le Toit du Monde Paris, Editions Findakly 2007 there is an interesting writing “Travestissements A propos des masques dits – primitifs-” by Ms Gisèle Krauskopff.

 Among the masks edited  in this catalogue also the n.64 pag.108 is in my opinion an ambigous mask with a double expression of the mouth. Wrathful expression in the above part of the mouth and a long tongue in the belower.

Mask n2 .

 Mask n3.

 Mask n4.

Double expression of the mask n1 detail view. 

Mask n2 detail view. The style of the teeth is really similar with the n1.

Mask n3 detail view. Also in this mask the style of the teeth is similar with the pieces n.1,2 and 4.

Mask n4 detail view. From the examination of the common  teeth  style of these 4 masks we can start to guess the same origin , hand or group, of the items.

This my thesis is renforced and confirmed from the examination of the back mounth side style of the masks. Mask n1 back side detail.

Mask n2 back side view.

Mask n3 back side view detail.

Mask  4 back side view  detail.

Returning to the mask n1, the most interesting and complex of the group, we can see from this photo the assimmetry of the ears , the style of the eyes, common with the other masks, the strong  style of the long nose that start directly from the forehead .

Mask n1 detail view.

Mask n1 detail view.

Mask n2 frontal view detail. The style of the eyes is similar with the mask n1, 3 and 4.

Mask n2 another frontal view detail.

Mask n3 frontal view.

Mask n4 frontal view.

Mask n1 side a and b view. The photographic comparation tht folow  of the side styles of these masks confirm the common origin of the items.

Superb and powerfull character of the mask n1. Side view.

Mask n1 side view detail.

Mask n1 side view detail.

Mask n2 side a view.

Mask n2 side b view.

Mask n2 side b view detail.

Mask n2 side b view detail.

Mask n3 side view.

Mask n3 side view detail.

Mask n4 side view detail.

Mask n4 side view detail.

Mask n4 side view detail.

Only for a stylistic comparation we re-edit an unusual  primitive himalalayan mask in which the style, the expression  of the teeth is something of similar with these for masks.

Comparative mask frontal view.

Previous edited on:

Frontal view detail.

Frontal view detail.

Frontal view detail.

Side a view.

Side a view detail.

 

Side b view.

Side b view detail.

Side B view detail.

WORK IN PROGRESS.

Himalayan Art Catalogue. Sculpteurs de bois au Népal : bouffons et protecteurs. Wood sculpture in Nepal. Jokers and talismans. Bernard Goy Max Itzikovitz.

ETHNOFLORENCE

INDIAN AND HIMALAYAN

FOLK AND TRIBAL ARTS

2008 – 2016

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SAN FRANCISCO TRIBAL ART SHOW

Photo credit Sam Singer

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“Sculptures de bois au Nepal: buffons et protecteurs”,  a new important  book by Bernard Goy and Max Itzikovitz devoted to this unknown field of Himalayan art. For Collectors of Himalayan Tribal Art as well as for all the tribal art lovers a book  absolutely to buy.

The words of the editor:

“Au début des années 1980 apparurent dans quelques galeries parisiennes spécialisées dans l’exotisme, d’énigmatiques masques de bois, proches de ceux que portent chamanes sibériens ou esquimaux. Seul le cachet de cire rouge réglementairement apposé sur ces objets par les douanes népalaises permettait d’en identifier la provenance. De nombreux amateurs des arts primitifs, séduits par l’archaïsme de leur expression et la densité de leur patine, gages traditionnels de grande ancienneté, adoptèrent instantanément ces masques et en devinrent d’inconditionnels zélateurs. Malgré leur origine et leur fonction incertaine, ces œuvres ont acquis récemment leurs lettres de noblesse en rejoignant les vitrines du Quai Branly.
Un survol de l’histoire du Népal explique pourquoi les connaissances sur la culture matérielle du pays, hors la vallée de Katmandou, ne bénéficient pas de ce même recul qui caractérise les autres civilisations non européennes. Le pays longtemps interdit aux occidentaux ne s’est ouvert que récemment et les archives dont on dispose datent des années 1960.
Les auteurs de cet ouvrage ont voulu rechercher dans le passé les traces de ces accessoires auxquels les ethnologues n’ont pas, à ce jour, apporté leur caution habituelle pour les avoir rarement croisées en 50 années de présence sur le terrain.
De superbes photographies d’Hughes Dubois complètent ce volume et présentent des masques et statuettes rassemblées pendant plus de 25 ans par Max Itzikovitz, l’un des auteurs.”

 

About the Authors

Bertrand Goy, membre de la Société de Géographie et de la Société des Africanistes, il s‘est spécialisé dans l’histoire des arts primitifs et a écrit catalogues et monographies, dont Jaraï (2006, prix Auguste Pavie de l’Académie des Sciences d’Outremer).

Max Itzikovitz, célèbre collectionneur d’arts premiers.

Hughes Dubois est l’un des plus réputés photographes d’art aujourd’hui. Il a participé à de très nombreuses publications pour le musée Dapper, le Pavillon des Sessions au musée du Louvre et pour le Museum of Islamic Art à Doha.

Ont également contribué :

Gisèle Krausskopff, directeur de recherches CNRS, (LESC, Laboratoire d’Ethnologie et de Sociologie Comparative, UMR 7535, CNRS-Université de ParisX) ;

Henri Bancaud, voyageur au Népal, éditeur.

 

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