Large Lightweight Hand-Carved Tribal Mask 23" Tall

Details

Description

Hand-carved wooden wall mask featuring an elongated face, tiered crescent headdress, and a fierce, grimacing expression with a concave open … Read more Hand-carved wooden wall mask featuring an elongated face, tiered crescent headdress, and a fierce, grimacing expression with a concave open mouth and square block teeth. It measures exactly 23 inches tall, carved from a single solid block of surprisingly lightweight yet incredibly hard tropical wood. It has been stylistically matched to 1960s-1970s Jamaican master carvers, but also bears resemblance to African and Hawaiian Tribal masks. It is likely made from Spanish Cedar, which is native to the Caribbean or Obeche, which was imported in mass in the 1960's specifically for roadside carvers to make masks like this one for tourists to bring home. While travel shifted to airlines from cruise ships, weight became a huge influencing factor for tourists. Carvers quickly realized that tourists would not buy a 15-pound Lignum Vitae mask, so they universally pivoted to Spanish Cedar and imported Obeche so travelers could easily carry their souvenirs onto an airplane. See less