Archeology: Please Help Identify Origin of Mystery Mask

this archaeology piece does not answer any questions, it only attempts to access our collective knowledge.

not only do i own two of this style of wood mask, my good friend has one that his family once owned, and i recall seeing this in a family friends’ beachouse in the 70’s. also, there is a mask of similar style, painted to resemble bug bugging eyes, at the hala kahiki, which i thought i had photographed but sadly did not.

i have tried to research the origin of this mask many places, but have come up with nuthin.’ when i posted the big mask in tiki finds on 11/14/2003, BK PM’ed me that he thought it was a “menehune mask,” but i have found nothing called that anywhere else. these do not strike me as being of pacific origin, but likewise they don’t seem to have a whole lot of similarity to african or native american carvings i have seen. waikiki kitty did buy this inuit bone pendant carving at a flea market

that has a vague resemblance, but it is not strong enough for me to think the wood masks have inuit origin.

i did find these cool links though:
http://www.masksoftheworld.com/
http://gallery.sjsu.edu/masks/Imagesfram.html

the consistent design features I have seen is:

long mask, carved from one piece of wood
smiling mouth
long nose, flared at bottom
big eyes or cheeks? if painted they look like big googly eyes
over the big eyes/cheeks are little, crescent-shaped “eyes” that were either functionally or representationally the eye holes for the mask
the top of head has some kind of head-dress

freakbear posted some samples he had as well:

http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=1099&forum=5&vpost=127744&hilite=mask

showing these examples

can anybody help pin these style of masks down? mahalo…

J$, I don't know the answer, but I've always assumed that those were SE Asian or Indonesian interpretations of Polynesian. Much like the dragon masks or the gnarly surfer "tiki" with the big bush of hair coming out the top of his head. Just a guess though...

arrrrgh! on saturday i was at a friend's house and he had two of these style of masks. i looked on the back of both and on one there was a round stamp... "made... in... _________" the bottom of the stamp had not made contact with material!
arrrrrrrrrgggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhh frustratin'

Here is the mask at the Hala Kahiki. Next time Im there I'll see if JJ can take it down and check the back for me.

thanks, man, you are tres kool.

Guys and dolls,
These masks are produced in Mexico. Do some Googles of Mexican wood masks and you'll see some of these. Also try diablo/devil mask.

Hope this helps,

Sneaky.

[ Edited by: Sneakytiki 2006-01-10 13:36 ]

mahalo sneaky!

according to one site,

"The Dance of the Matachine and the Dance of Tres Potentia both use Diablo masks. This mask was made in Guerrero, in the 1940's or 50's... Carved from medium weight blond wood, possibly poplar or cedar. "

you can definitely see the design basis for the other ones shown.

i think that the ones i have may potentially be from the 50's or 60's then. i wonder if the more recent versions shown in this thread are still being produced in mexico or somewhere even south of there.