"Devil mask" from the Himalayas

A mask representing a protector of Buddhist dharma, dharmapala, made of painted clay. This type of mask is related to the Tibetan Buddhist cham dance tradition, but traditionally the cham masks are wooden. The rough mask belongs to the collection of the Evangelical Free Church of Finland and was acquired from Sikkim in 1912. The mask has two labels, with the words “Sikk. devil dance mask” and “Tibetan devil mask”.

Sikkim, Himalaya. VK6494:191. Photo: Ilari Järvinen, 2020.