Tibet or Bhutan,

Wood, pigments,

19th/early 20th Century Ex Roger Hollander Collection,

Published: Masks of Fabled Lands, 2009 plate 63,

8 in/20 cm.

Tibetan Buddhist teachings prepare one throughout life for death and the Bar do state (the intermediary state between death and rebirth) that follows. It is essential that the soul be able to laugh at the frightening prospect of the hereafter and so, in their wisdom, monks turn dancing skeletons into clowns for comic relief at great masked performances. Note the stylistic differences between the two masks.

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