In ‘Tibetan’ culture the use of printed charms was largely widespread. These charms were printed from wooden blocks upon paper or a cotton cloth – carried upon the person – pinned upon the walls of the houses – hung to flutter in the wind – from bushes – poles – etc.
The particular typology of charms under consideration today is characterized by the representation of two “diseases – bringing” demons – Gyalpo and Drimo – shown chained together – with their respective faces/ bodies – up side down – relative to each other.
This iconographic “solution” – apparently unusual – beyond the symbolic meaning – makes it a sort of iconic representation among the most effective from a visual point of view in this field.
At the Center of the composition there is generally reproduced
a four petaled or four sides circular disc (khorlo)
beared by the two demons and generally inscribed with formulae of protection or protective syllables and spells particularly aimed against the “black demons of all Kinds”
Extract from Waddel – The Buddhism of Tibet, or Lamaism with its mystic cults, symbolism and mythology, and in its relation to Indian Buddhism (1895)
A similar but less complex iconography is the following one reproduced in a charm against ‘Malignant Spirits’ – published by W.L. Hildburgh on Notes on Some Tibetan and Bhutia Amulets and Folk-Medicines, and a Few Nepalese Amulets (1909)
Extract from W.L. Hildburgh – Notes on Some Tibetan and Bhutia Amulets and Folk-Medicines, and a Few Nepalese Amulets W.L. Hildburgh – The Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland – (1909)
It is a Buddhist protective charm for binding up the ‘Mano’ a type of demon believed to be the major cause of disease among women.
The Demons -Gyalpo – Drimo or Mano are – to resume – iconographically described as chained –
bearing a disc containing generally a circular incantation – a four petaled lotus – (or four sided sort of lozenge) inscribed with syllabes and an inner “wheel”with other formulae.
Both The “Naktsi” or “Black astrology” (so called because in Tibetan China is called the ‘black area), and the’ “Astrology of the Elements” or Jungtsi, the two most important Tibetan astrological systems, have a Chinese origin. Chinese astronomy and astrology originate in particular in the Tibetan context concepts with an iconographic implication (which is part of our research) such as the Trigrams from the I Ching, the Mewa or nine magic squares, the twelve animals, the five elements. Chinese astrology was probably introduced in Tibet by Princess Kongyo in 643, who married the first Buddhist king of this land.
A Tibetan astrological diagram showing the nine Mewa (center), surrounded by the 8 Trigrams, and by wheel of the twelve animals .
Ethnoflorence Photo Archives Collection
Astrological Carved Wood Block – no 68906 – Collection Rubin Museum of Art – Photo Credit Himalayan Org.
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The Wheel of the 12 Animals
The twelve animals: Mouse, Ox, Tiger, Hare, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Sheep, Monkey, Bird, Dog, and Pig are associated with hours, days, months and years. Each animal is connected to an element that represents its life force, a direction, a specific sex and certain personality characteristics.
The Wheel of 12 animals iconographically constitutes the outer band of the astrological block.
Extract from – The Buddhism of Tibet, or Lamaism with its mystic cults, symbolism and mythology, and in its relation to Indian Buddhism – (1895)
Difference between the Tibetan Wheel of the 12 animals and the Western Zodiac
The Tibetan wheel of 12 animals, with its 12-fold division, is certainly similar, from an iconographic point of view, to its western counterpart, the zodiac, but it differs in meaning because while in the West the zodiac the signs of the people are determined by the solar calendar, in the East the sign is determined according to the year of birth by turning the cycle of 12 animals in succession from year to year. The pattern followed by the animal wheel involves this succession is: Mouse, Ox, Tiger, Hare, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Sheep, Monkey, Bird, Dog, and Pig. As mentioned, therefore, the 12-year animal cycle is repeated from year to year. Another difference with the western calendar lies in the fact that the beginning of the new year does not coincide with the first of January, but this date is placed in coincidence with the new moon closest to the month of February.
The Planets and Calendar & Symbols of Days of the Week – Extract from – The Buddhism of Tibet, or Lamaism with its mystic cults, symbolism and mythology, and in its relation to Indian Buddhism – (1895)
The Nine Mewa
or ‘nine colored islands’ derive from the I Ching and Chinese numerology, and are each associated with a color, direction and element – from an iconographic point of view they constitute the central part of the composition
Sometimes the nine Mewa, as in the image on the right, are arranged in a magic square which gives a total of 15, in anyway and however they are added together.
THE EIGHT TRIGRAMS – PARKHAS
Middle part of the composition between the twelve signs and the nine Newa are the Eight Trigrams (Parkhas) representing the equivalent of the Chinese pa-kua, which form the basis of the I Ching, based on the concept of Yin and Yang.
The Parkhas represent the elements of Fire, Earth, Metal, Sky, Water, Mountain, Wood and Wind and are an extension of the theory of the five elements.
Geometric Trigamas – Extratc from – The Buddhism of Tibet, or Lamaism with its mystic cults, symbolism and mythology, and in its relation to Indian Buddhism – (1895)
This is a Fagli festival that is organized annually during Falgun Sankranti (फागुन सक्रांति).
Through the dance of the masks the demoniac influences are removed from the village, so as to be able to ensure rain, good harvest, happiness, prosperity throughout the rest of the year.
The village geographically located in a remote area of mountainous character, is surrounded on all sides by mountains and forests,the dances in which the masks are worn are performed only by male members of 7 different local families.
After this, for 3 days, they do the parikrama of each house and village with musical instruments, and after worshiping the deity on the last day, the demonic spirits are driven out of the village.
In this festival, women are forbidden to watch dance in some places because obscene acts are also done in this by abusing them with obscene songs.
The first day is celebrated the Chhoti Fagli, in which the dance and circumambulation are performed only in a limited area. The second day Badi Fagli is organized in which Mandayale, wearing a mask, enters every house in the country and blesses it with happiness and prosperity.
On this day, a special Chiladdu dish is prepared throughout the village and in the evening a great dance is organized in the Devta Maidan, in which men and women dance together.
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The wooden part of these eye-slit masks similar to much of the HP production is characterized by a – basic light monochrome – decorated with – red lines and red dots interspersed with green dots – a thick beard attached under the nose covers partially the mouth – the upper part houses a sorghum structure that creates a particular scenographic effect to the general structure.
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UPCOMING AUCTIONS
(3)
CHEZ
(A)
Millon – Ventes aux enchères
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CARNETS DE VOYAGES ONLINE ART TRIBAL D’AFRIQUE, D’OCEANIE & DU NEPAL
Worth noting is an interesting Tharu post richly decorated representing the Tharu shrine female deity (normally with five prongs on the top – here are six) Daharcandi ( preventing epidemic) –
For an explicated inconography – Nepalese Tharu’s Shrine Iconography – नेपाली थारू की श्राइन आइकोनोग्राफी
Photo credit of Musée du Quai Branly, donateur Alexander William MacDonald (collection)
The figure represents the Tharu shrine male deity village Cabahwa (protector of the hearth & village) , normally combined with the female deity (with five prongs on the top) Daharcandi ( preventing epidemic) –
यह आंकड़ा थारू तीर्थ पुरुष देवता ग्राम कैबहवा (चूल्हा और गाँव का रक्षक) का प्रतिनिधित्व करता है, सामान्य रूप से महिला देवता (शीर्ष पर पांच प्रंगों के साथ) दहरचंडी (महामारी को रोकने) के साथ संयुक्त है –
Together the effigies of Cabahwa and Daharcandi – the row of five wooden small pegs – in this Furer Haimendorf pic SOAS Library (PPMS19_6_THAR_0067 – caption: Two statues with peacock and other symbols carved into )- represent the Hindu epic Pandava’s five brothers.
कैबहवा और दहरकंडी के पुतलों के साथ-साथ पांच लकड़ी के छोटे खूंटे की पंक्ति – इस Furer Haimendorf pic SOAS लाइब्रेरी (PPMS19_6_THAR_0067 – कैप्शन: में दो मूर्तियों के साथ मोर और अन्य प्रतीकों को उकेरा गया है) – हिंदू महाकाव्य पांडव के पांच भाइयों का प्रतिनिधित्व करते हैं।
Photo Credit of Furer Haimendorf SOAS Library (PPMS19_6_THAR_0067 – caption: Two statues with peacock and other symbols carved into )
Since Himalayan Masks are materials still related to living traditions – we can hypothesize the ritual use of both new production masks intended for ritual use and older ones (which as documented by Eric Chazot & Francois Guenet in 2010 in some cases are modified from one year to another – in “Sciences et Avenir” Dec 2010).
An example of a ‘recent’ mask danced in a ritual context (together with the metal one below) can be found in this photo by Christian Lequindre taken in East Nepal (before 2010).
The masks represented in these photos by Christian Lequindre are authentic – and (but) their economic value is different from that of older ones of course –
There are then masks with an apotropaic function that are hung on the facades of the houses – in this case the external patina could differ from the internal one (back side). Even the type of lateral holes could be different from those worn in ritual dances.
This mask does not have the usual holes coinciding with the eyes – the holes to house the rope are placed at the top instead of sideways. These are no small considerations – if you see the mask on the picture on the center of the composition – isolated from its actual context – it can be said that it has the wrong holes – and perhaps a non-existent patina on the back – or very different from the front one (more exposed to atmospheric agents) – as observed by Eric Chazot this could be useful “to explain intriguing patinas & abnormal places or shapes of the rope’s holes.” in some materials.
Others could be used with the same function but inside the houses – also in this case – if not danced – they could have a different patina between front and back.
Sometimes the lateral holes seem to have been made later (perhaps by the merchants) – a general comparation of the fixation system of the face masks however teaches us that sometimes they could be useless or not very effective in reality.
Interesting to note how this mask was fixed to the face with a scarf – and as observed by Eric Chazot “this is often the case as only one rope around the head is not comfortable and not stable. That’s why some masks although original do not even have holes for the ropes. “
Photos Extract from “La danse des masques.” in “Sciences et Avenir” Dec 2010 Photo Credit of F. Guenet -Texte by E. Chazot
South of Simikot, Humla area, new year of the Byanshi. January 2008. Photo Credit of Eric Chazot
Photo Credits updating in progress
These comparative images relating to the methods of fixing the masks (Nepal no 5 -6-8 -9 ) can make us better understand how the masks themselves are used in the different areas (from Uttarkhand to Western Bengal) and how their actual use can affect their patina (even if the method and place of conservation of the same plays a relevant role in their appearance)
We have little information on many internal areas – but if we think – for comparison – about the materials shared on images and videos that have been affecting HP’s Pagli masks festivals in the recent years, we can perhaps imagine something similar in Nepal in the future.
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Part II
MASKS OF HIMACHAL PRADESH
Photo Credit of Luke CG
A living tradition – New Insight and Some Contradiction?
Where the evil powers are driven away by the village doing obscene acts by giving obscene abuses with obscene songs….
The mask on the cover was published on “Oxford Art Online” also known as “The Dictionary of Art” now called “The Grove Dictionary of Art”, “Oxford University Press”. (eds. 1996 – 1998- 2003 )
Photo Credit of Oxford University Press – Text by Eric Chazot
ETHNOFLORENCE INDIAN AND HIMALAYAN FOLK AND TRIBAL ARTS 