Accession Nr.: 55.753.1
Type: mask; religious or cult object; carving
Date of production:
turn of the 19th and 20th century
Place of production:
Materials/Techniques: wood, painted, gilt
Dimensions: height: 19 cm
width: 15.4 cm
Balinese mask (Indonesian: topeng). The mask used for dance rites depicts a demon (Indonesian: raksasa) with double canine teeth, bulging eyes, and a reddish face. The distinctive Hindu-Balinese culture of the Indonesian island of Bali is interwoven by rituals, of which dance movements form an integral part. Their aim is to reconcile evil forces and to restore the balance that is (inevitably) upset again and again.