Help me identify the origin of this African mask
June 8, 2013 6:50 AM Subscribe
I bought this African mask at a thrift shop the other day. It appears real; it has the qualities of being handmade. I've searched the Internet for an hour or so, and while I've found other masks that are similar (like this one and this one), I can't find its origin. Are there any African art experts who can help me?
It's a "Lombok" (or Lombok style) mask from Bali. I don't know to what extent it reflects any actual Lombok traditional work, but they're widely produced for the tourist/export trade.
posted by drlith at 8:25 AM on June 8, 2013
posted by drlith at 8:25 AM on June 8, 2013
This mask doesn't look like any African mask I've seen. This page suggests it might be a tourist souvenir from Bali. More.
(Qualifications: I ghosted an entire book about African masks, for what that's worth.)
posted by zadcat at 8:26 AM on June 8, 2013
(Qualifications: I ghosted an entire book about African masks, for what that's worth.)
posted by zadcat at 8:26 AM on June 8, 2013
Best answer: More details: these masks appear to be the output of the village of Labuapi in Lombok. This site claims they product about 25,000 pieces a year.
posted by drlith at 8:40 AM on June 8, 2013
posted by drlith at 8:40 AM on June 8, 2013
Response by poster: Thanks for everyone's help! Great job!
posted by jordanian2 at 9:01 AM on June 8, 2013
posted by jordanian2 at 9:01 AM on June 8, 2013
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posted by MonkeyToes at 7:53 AM on June 8, 2013 [2 favorites]