These striking masks are carved by hand from single pieces of wood and then hand-painted. Their origins date back centuries to the peoples of the Himalayan foothills who followed the Newari tradion. This tradition brought together beliefs, myths and symbols from both Buddhism and Hinduism and the resulting combination of ideas and iconography was richly reflected in the craft of mask-making.
Each of the masks on our site is unique and has been selected for its craftsmanship and visual impact. As is usually the case with items of this nature, atmospheric differences between Nepal and UK have resulted in some of the masks showing hairline cracks. Where this is the case, they tend to be evident mainly on the inside of the mask and do not detract from the power and impact of the piece. |
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