Antique/Vintage Comic Bonres Mask with Exaggerated Features, Indonesia, Bali, (1326)

Description

Bondres masked figures are often silly, lovable clowns who speak plainly, improvise social satire and local gossip, and provide a light bridge between sacred and secular moments in both mask and historical drama performances that can be part of temple festivals. They often, as here, are recognized by overstated wide grins; a wide bulbous nose; jutting and gapped, teeth; arched brows; unusually colored complexions; stark red lips; and unnaturally shaped, sized and bulging eyes. As an authentically danced mask from early to near mid-20th century, the slightly glossy finish suggests the use of early to mid-century pigments with expected paint losses and scratches. The teeth are painted in an aged ivory tone now slightly darkened. The inside wear and contours still show cut marks, but its outside has pronounced softened, darkened wear from use.

They are in stark contrast to Hindu regal and historical characters from the Ramayana and the Mahabharata with whom they may appear to provide humor and parody to ease the tension of a serious drama. Generally common folk, buffoons, and clowns, these entertaining characters also serve to bridge the gap between the sacred and everyday world; and they often deliver moral or social messages to the audience.  Carved by same artisan of 1212B Bondres Mask, and they are a great pair.

AI Comments Summary

This highly collectable mask is an authentic performed carving used in traditional mask dramas, mask dance performances, and current Topeng Bondres dances. Because it shows clear signs of actual performance use, masterful caricature carving, and has mid-20th-century provenance, it holds genuine historical value. It is a true piece of material culture,. The provenance indicating it was collected in the 1970s and said to be made in Sebatu is a major asset. The 1970s marked a boom in Western interest in Indonesian arts when pre-war used masks were already becoming rare. Its provenance distinguishes it from those made during the mass-produced explosion in the1980s and 1990s.