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OCEANIC EARLY BELU MASK EAST TIMOR ISLAND (Midtown East)
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Having open, pierced eye holes and an open, pierced mouth.
Height: 7 1/2 inches Width: 5 1/2 inches.
It is a very old mask with a glossy patina overall.
PRICE UPON REQUEST
This type of Timor mask would of been held in front of the user's face or hung over passage openings in dwellings.
These masks are believed to be a medium to the spirit world, and a way for the living to communicate with their departed Ancestors and Spirits.
"The island of Timor gave rise to a distinctive tradition (or traditions) of dance masks whose precise origins and significance remain uncertain. What information exists suggests that many of the masks originated in Timor-Leste (East Timor). Portraying both male and female ancestors, they were worn by men during dances and other ceremonies, including celebrations of victory in war." The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.