Showing posts with label masquerade ball masks. Show all posts
Showing posts with label masquerade ball masks. Show all posts

Collecting Masks





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In ancient Greek times, masks were used in theatres. Because masks represent different characters. Different emotions. Masks also represent archetypes.

Masks were used mainly in religious festivals and rites of passage in different cultures. Like shaman masks were used to appease the gods and ancestors for fertility, healing, hunting for food, initiation and crossing over to the spiritual world.

As in the case of Venetian masks and Masquerade ball masks, the purposes of wearing it is to conceal one's true identity in order to have the freedom to flirt and dance with anybody, to negotiate clandestine deals.

Those masks enabled the poor to hobnob with the rich. Ironically, masks are a way into the very nature of our own being.

Mask collectors hunt and accumulate these sculptures because it would lend a three dimensional aspect in their collections. Collectors tend to focus on only one single theme such as Balinese mask s, Noh masks from Japan, opera and rituals masks from China, original movie monster masks, Venetian masks, Masquerade Ball masks, half masks, full masks, head masks, stick masks and Mexican masks that were used to cover corpses as these were put in a canoe and sent out to sea.


Masks can either be hung on the wall or let stand on a base. Undoubtedly, they are outstanding conversational pieces.

Like any other collectibles, masks that are of good quality, in excellent condition and most of all rare, would command a high price value on them. Better still, if the piece is published in books or catalogues, would be worth more.

If it came from prestigious dealers and auctioneers like Sotheby's or Christie's would certainly escalate the price all the more.

You don't have to collect every masks of every tribe in Africa (if African art is your thing). Just concentrate and focus only on one like Gelede masks from the Yoruba of Nigeria or comparable masks from Zaire. It's all up to you.



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