An Oni mask is a traditional Japanese, demon-like mask featuring horns, fangs, and a fierce expression, symbolizing both the terrifying aspects of folklore and protection against evil. Deeply rooted in Japanese culture, these masks often represent human emotions like anger or jealousy, acting as a talisman for warding off negativity. This exceptionally striking mask is a piece of Mingei, or Japanese folk art. It was once owned by the British collector and dealer of ethnographic art and European arms and armour William Ockleford Oldman (1879-1949), whose reference catalogues from 1901 and 1913 remain an important source of information today. Oldman pieces can be found in the British Museum, the National Museum of the American Indian, and the Pitt Rivers Museum. What is even more unusual is that it actually appears in a famous photograph of Oldman with his collection around 1920 that is now in the collection of the Museum of New Zealand.
Processional Oni Mask
wood, gesso, paint
18th century CE
Japan
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