Vintage Monkey Mask (Topeng Bajog), Indonesia, Bali

Description

In Bali, monkeys are important members of the animal kingdom and their presence is believed to echo the active spirit of the gods. Local residents care, feed and honor them. In Balinese Hinduism, monkeys as sacred guardians and protectors of temples where their auspicious presence brings good luck. Symbolizing harmony between humans and nature, in legends Balinese monkeys are viewed as descendants of the Hindu monkey deity Hanuman from the Ramayana.

Most Balinese masks are considered tenget  (sacred, magical and powerful) objects and are used in Hindu religious rituals, ceremonies and historical dramas to represent gods, ancestors and spiritual entities. Mask dances and other performances are enacted inside or outside temple grounds portraying historical tales, legends and folklore with moral and spiritual messages. Although monkey masks depict many mythological characters, the most famous is Hanoman. Balinese monkey masks (topeng bajog) are featured in various dances including the Kecak, Hanoman, and Barong dances, Sanghyang Jara, a trance dance that sometimes include monkey themes and motifs, and other Balinese folklore dances. These finely carve and painted folk art are often are embellished with animal hides and hair. They depict a wide range of facial expressions from aggressive to comic for deities, mythological creatures and ancestors and create links between the physical and divine spiritual worlds.

This traditional monkey mask (topoeng Bajog) was fashioned to express its strength and power with expressive facial features with bulging eyes, flared nostrils and a grimacing red mouth showing its alertness. In Balinese Hinduism, monkeys as sacred guardians and protectors of temples where their auspicious presence brings good luck. Symbolizing harmony between humans and nature, in legends Balinese monkeys are viewed as descendants of the Hindu monkey deity Hanuman from the Ramayana.

This finely carved vintage mask with symbolically powerful features was carved in the 1920-1940’s and personally purchased there in the 1970’s. Authentic folk art pieces like this are now extremely difficult to find .