Vintage Javanese Mask of Old Man Featured in Spider Man Movie (1318XKR) $985

Description

Javanese Wayang (puppet theater) Topeng (literally “pressed against the face” or mask) is a very refined dance form accompanied by gamelan music. In Bali Topeng tua is the charming dance of an old courtier’s fragile movements, his lack of control and his gathering energy for a short lively dance. He sits behind a cloth curtain, shakes and opens it after the music begins. An old man straining to stand, he begins a hesitant dance, an his muscle memory takes control and his pace increases. He dances crisply but after a period of skilled movements, he loses his control and balance, recovers and slowly moves back to his chair, sits and closes the curtain. Ethnic folk-art mask dances from Bali are lively and rooted in Hinduism and their past animism.  Javanese dances are extremely formal, didactic and conservative  as they are heavily influenced by Islam.  Javanese masks may be painted with bright approved designs but follow strict rules for historical or mythical characters. This ethnic mask of an old Javanese courtier is danced much differently than in Bali, as Javanese dance is courtly, highly stylized, slower and without much energy. Purchased in Java in the 1970’s, it is a brilliant one-of-a-kind mask featured in the original 2002 Spiderman movie with two more of our masks.

Click here for the blog Indonesian Dance Masks (Topeng): Spiritually Connecting the Community