Antique/Vintage Jetayu Mask, Museum Quality Stand Featured in Spiderman Movie, Bali (1208)

Description

This remarkable mask is a fine example of Balinese tribal art, Hindu cultural art and Indonesian art. It is Jatayu the mythical demi-god/divine bird depicted as an eagle in the Ramayana. Carved from a single piece of pulai or punyan pule wood used for its light color that enhances pigments, its durability and low density, it is crack resistant and easier to carve. This gifted Balinese artist created a striking piece with exacting detail. The crowned forehead, snout, huge round bug-eyes, wide-open mouth with a curled tongue, expressive jaw muscles, and upper and lower sets of sharp teeth in graduated sizes reflect the best of skilled woodcarving.

Jatayu is often mistaken for Garuda but is his nephew. This mask (topeng) is made in traditional style and is well-used from decades of Ramayana dance performances. The Ramayana (the path/journey of Rama) is the massive 5-6th century BCE Indian Hindu 24,000 verse sacred epic, one of the largest ancient epics in existence. It is a social and moral code for how Hindus should conduct themselves as well as a classic on the goals of human life. Jatayu is the Hindu mythical vahana (vehicle) of Vishnu, one of the triad of principal Hindu gods.

This would be a special piece in any collection and was used in the original Spiderman movie. It is in very good condition with some paint losses demonstrating its age and long use. Personally collected in the 1970s, antique pieces like this are now extremely scarce and very pricey.

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