Masks

voodoowitchdr · 04-25-2009, 06:02 PM

I just did some research on the mask that I'm wearing in my profile picture. I figured that it would have no cultural significance seeing as I bought it in a mini mall and it had a "made in Indonesia" sticker on it. I finally looked up indonesian masks on wikipedia and found that they are from Bali Indonesia, and are called barong masks. I then looked that up on google and found that I have a reproduction of a traditional Bali barong monkey mask that is incredible close to the real thing. I will post a link to the real deal below. I am now in search of a real Bali Barong.

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgu...%3Den%26um%3D1

Do you like masks? What kind? Why?

RozzVanian · 04-25-2009, 07:05 PM

I love masks. Halloween masks, of course. I have this Michael Myers mask which I have customized to look battle-damaged, with all of the nicks and scratches he received in the first two movies.

voodoowitchdr · 04-25-2009, 07:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RozzVanian

I love masks. Halloween masks, of course. I have this Michael Myers mask which I have customized to look battle-damaged, with all of the nicks and scratches he received in the first two movies.

Nice, I hate the third movie though, it ruined the theme for no reason. My favorite two are 4 and 5.

I like wood carved masks, I have a thing for tribal artifacts and cultural pieces and such.

Cicero · 04-25-2009, 07:34 PM

From living around Asia my family's got quite a collection of tribal masks, including a lot from Bali and other parts of Indonesia. Unfortunately they're all at my mother's house in Malaysia except for one Papua New Guinean mask which hangs on my wall. I'll see if I can be bothered taking a photo of it.

Oh and we also have some Venetian ones from Venice. Now THOSE are amazing.

And my sister collects regular halloween masks which range from really fucking stupid to pretty damn cool.

Yeah, I quite like masks.

voodoowitchdr · 04-25-2009, 07:50 PM

Cicero, how close do you think my repro is to the traditional mask?

ZyklonB · 04-25-2009, 07:59 PM

This reminds me of http://www.somethingawful.com/d/come...-ghostmask.php on SA

StarredLeaf · 04-25-2009, 10:10 PM

I agree with Cicero. Venetian masks are amazingly gorgeous.

voodoowitchdr · 04-25-2009, 10:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by StarredLeaf

I agree with Cicero. Venetian masks are amazingly gorgeous.

They are beautiful, but I'm more into tribal ritual masks, etc. I'm not sure why I like that kind of stuff so much.

StarredLeaf · 04-25-2009, 10:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by voodoowitchdr

They are beautiful, but I'm more into tribal ritual masks, etc. I'm not sure why I like that kind of stuff so much.

That's cool. We used to have masks similar to tribal masks hung in my parents' living room and they used to creep me out.

Cicero · 04-26-2009, 12:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by voodoowitchdr

Cicero, how close do you think my repro is to the traditional mask?

Depends on the material and craftsmanship. Also, the one in your profile pic isn't painted or anything, and most Balinese masks are extremely colourful. Makes it seem a bit less authentic.

Really though, I'm no expert. For all I know it's an exact copy of a real one.

Jack again · 04-26-2009, 01:12 AM

I have a Malaysian mask from when my dad lived there. ( He spent a large part of his childhood there ).

Cicero · 04-26-2009, 03:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jack again

I have a Malaysian mask from when my dad lived there. ( He spent a large part of his childhood there ).

Cool, what part did he live in? I'm guessing the mask is from Borneo... Peninsular Malaysia was pretty boring for stuff like that, aside from the odd Dayak rip-off.

voodoowitchdr · 04-26-2009, 09:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cicero

Depends on the material and craftsmanship. Also, the one in your profile pic isn't painted or anything, and most Balinese masks are extremely colourful. Makes it seem a bit less authentic.

Really though, I'm no expert. For all I know it's an exact copy of a real one.

I know that it isn't a real one, but I think it was made in Bali. It was probably part of a mass produced set of them that some company paid for. I really want to get a real one though. Hopefully I'll go to Bali some day and get it in person. My cousin is going to be an exchange student in Malaysia, so I want to see if she'll bring one of their masks back for me. Since Malaysia is close to Indonesia, I'll give her a picture of a real Bali mask and see if whe runs into one by chance.

Catch · 04-26-2009, 10:46 AM

Guess the mascarade masks are nice... with feathers.

voodoowitchdr · 04-26-2009, 01:34 PM

In the link I posted above there is also a picture of a mask for Sri Lanka, does anyone know anything about that kind of mask?

Jack again · 04-26-2009, 02:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cicero

Cool, what part did he live in? I'm guessing the mask is from Borneo... Peninsular Malaysia was pretty boring for stuff like that, aside from the odd Dayak rip-off.

He lived in Bukit Ibam. My grandad worked as a chemical engineer for the Rompin Mining Co. Apparently, it was a great place to grow up.

Malice In Wonderland · 04-26-2009, 02:56 PM

I have what I guess is a not so authentic one that my aunty was given by a taxi driver in Sri Lanka, It's pretty much the same design as the picture there.

Cicero · 04-26-2009, 06:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by voodoowitchdr

I know that it isn't a real one, but I think it was made in Bali. It was probably part of a mass produced set of them that some company paid for. I really want to get a real one though. Hopefully I'll go to Bali some day and get it in person. My cousin is going to be an exchange student in Malaysia, so I want to see if she'll bring one of their masks back for me. Since Malaysia is close to Indonesia, I'll give her a picture of a real Bali mask and see if whe runs into one by chance.

Well yeah, I was just saying it's not exactly identical a real mask without being painted. If your cousin goes to Bali - which, by the way, is only one of MANY interesting places she could end up visiting while in Malaysia - all she has to do is step outside her hotel and there'll be masks to buy everywhere since they're popular tourist souvenirs. You won't even have to show her a photo, it's obvious from the moment you step off the plane how intrinsically Balinese those masks are, haha.

Cicero · 04-26-2009, 06:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jack again

He lived in Bukit Ibam. My grandad worked as a chemical engineer for the Rompin Mining Co. Apparently, it was a great place to grow up.

Haha, I lived just a bit north of Bukit Ibam in Kuala Lipis. My dad worked as a mining engineer there before we moved to Kuala Lumpur, where my mum and sister still live and work today. Not a bad place to grow up at all, really.

Anarasha · 04-27-2009, 10:05 AM

I like the variety of masks shown in The Phantom of the Opera.
I even made his Red Death mask and wore it for Halloween. I could upload it if you want me to?

voodoowitchdr · 04-27-2009, 12:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Anarasha

I like the variety of masks shown in The Phantom of the Opera.
I even made his Red Death mask and wore it for Halloween. I could upload it if you want me to?

Sure

10char

Anarasha · 04-27-2009, 02:32 PM

HavelockV · 04-28-2009, 07:05 AM

Ah, yes, the Phantom of the Opera is the root of my love of masks. There is a sort of primeval appeal about the art of concealment, of assuming another identity.

Predictably, my favorite masks are the elaborate Venetian examples that are so prevalent during the Carnivale season. There is such a grand tradition of artistry underlying their creation. On the other end of the spectrum, funerary masks, such as the ones used in ancient cultures in Egypt, the Roman Empire, and South America, are also fascinating to me. They represent cultures steeped in mythology and symbolism, and demonstrate the extent to which people in those days would prepare for death.

Anarasha: That seems to be a very respectable recreation of the Red Death mask used in the 2004 film. That being said, I still much prefer the stage version of the musical to the movie.

Delkaetre · 04-28-2009, 05:50 PM

I am exceptionally fond of masks. I have a silver Bauta-style Venetian mask, and a plain full face harlequin. Both are masculine, as it seems so much closer to genderless than the feminine fripperies sold so many places. There's also the green leather Lady- a decorative mask on my wall- the Kabuki themed mask from Cirque du Soleil, the black Highwayman half masks, the feathered half mask with the peacock fringe, and the assortment of veils I seem to have misplaced.

A mask allows you to be Other. You can become something else and do not need to be tied to your personal convictions or societal obligations, separating you from humanity by hiding that which we recognise most as human- the face. They are used by inquisitors, witch doctors, hedonists, heretics, rebels, and many others that seek in some way or another to push boundaries.
There is something about them that I love.
And a mask allows you to free yourself from mirrors. I feel so sick, sometimes, of how hard it is to escape reflections. I don't want to see myself everywhere. A mask is freedom from this, though admittedly only one that can be worn out and about on certain occasions.