Generally speaking, every person has at least ‘two selves’ one is ‘a self’
without any ‘guise’ and another is a ‘non-self’ which may not be a
pretention always but an ‘alternate self’! To fathom self and the ‘other’(non-self)
is a subject of psychology especially the behavioural one! But for common
man the search for ‘self’ and to find out its reflective imaginations
sometime in ‘disguise’ or otherwise has remained a very essential social
exercise since the dawn of our civilization. In this process he discovered
the ‘mask’ codified scores of ‘guise’ which were miles away from self but
very close to the mind! But those masks were not simple ‘covering’ but a
vehicle for ‘imaginations’ of mind of the mankind which remained a
powerful object of reverence for all especially amongst aboriginals and
traditional people.

The Mask-culture which dates
back to the pre-historic rock-paintings of c.30,000 B.C has travelled down
the ages and got expressed some time as ‘magico-religion’, "sacred
enactments in Monasteries" or at folk theatrical levels and even through
epic depictions, or in carnivals with a touch of festivity. Thus we see
mask remained an integral part of universal culture surviving in its own
way with every face around us.
In recent past, an
International Mask Festival was organised at New Delhi jointly by Indira
Gandhi National Centre for the Arts, Indian Council of Cultural Relations,
Sangeet Natak Academy and National School of Drama. This unique festival
was conceived by Dr. Kapila Vatsayayan, the living legend of
multi-disciplinary study and an Indologist of rare credentials who once
said that this mask-festival is to relate the ‘cosmic-man’ or Purusha to
the micro-cosmic man with and without ‘mask’!To explore its dynamism Dr.
Vatsayayan has initiated collection of masks from world over under IGNCA’s
ethnographic collections.The festival started its rhythm with
‘mask-dances’ from India and abroad which finally culminated into the
IGNCA’s exhibition of Rupa and Pratirupa (Man and Mask) which displayed
around 400 masks from 21 countries of the world . The Mask dance, the
exhibition were finally linked with a seminar ‘Mind, Man and Mask’. All
these provided us with the entry point to fathom the mask in its unique
dimensions whose pulses are discussed below to uphold an holistic view of
Mask and its universality.

The first record of Mask we
find in the pre-historic rock arts from different sites of the world which
includes the cave engravings of Caverne du Volp, France; Altamira Cave of
Spain, Kundusi of Tanzania, Niger, Algeria, Lybia, Russian Kazakistan, New
Mexico, Sweden, Siberia, Canada, Peru and Bhimbetka in India etc. Thus we
see almost from every part of the world the reference of mask is found.
Scholars from Italy Emmanuel Anati and Ariela Fradkin Anati said "Luckily
our early ancestors, modestly named as Homo sapiens, had the gift of
producing art and among the subjects they have depicted in the walls of
rocks and caves there are depictions of masks. From that we learn that
since 40,000 to 50,000 years ago our ancestors used to make and wear
masks."
The logo of the festival with
a masked-stick man is from the Bhimbetka Rock art sites. This figure shows
a ‘shield’like face with elaborate semi-circular ornamental necklaces and
feather like head-gear with a movement oriented figure. Thus so lyrical
was mask for the ancient man! One find various references of world-rock
art analysis from the "World Archives of Rock Art" This WARA has
documented around 2 lakh photograps and drawings from various sites of 100
countires.
Dr. M. Leaky analysed four
figures from Tanzanian rock art of Kundusi said "Four beings with hidden
faces,all have a distinctive oblique line on their head. They seem to make
a team for dance or some other performance"(WARA Archives 94-95) Similarly
one find a typical herd of ‘deer and bison’ in France being followed by a
man who is sporting animal head and ‘playing the musical bow’. Does it not
enthuse the Indian psyche where Krishna playing the flute while following
the cow-herd?
Another powerful observation
is hunting animals with a ‘disguised’mask which is found in Algeria. Thus
we see in the pre-historic era the early man almost got besmeared with the
world of animals and used mask to ‘hunt’ ‘tame’ and again ‘dance’. Thus
mask has always remained very ‘dear’ and ‘loveable’as the self!
From the Mohenjodaro
excavations one finds the terracota mask namely Pasupati seal which dates
back to 2500 B.C. which in later years manifested and got dimensions from
the standpoint of shape to the materials of mask. In Africa one find mask
as divine heritage encoded in Mummy Mask of Trebes c.1295-1069 B.C.
Furthermore, we find the Roman Mask of golden touch with a pair of eyes
but without lips which dates back to 2nd century A.D. The comic mask from
Greece and Rome enthused a ‘laughter’ within. The Mexican masks of 900
B.C. of rod shape is also unique which touch the other aspect of human
mood namely ‘pain and agony’. Thus mask remained a functional symbol
beyond the face and the mind encompassing the mood. Does it mean mask has
a relationship with the ‘mind and mood’? Let us try to understand it!
Our faces are the index of
mind and function as mirror to ventilate emotions or state of mind in
varied dimensions! What are those hidden recesses of our psyche? Those are
love, anger, hate, fury, joy, fear and disgust, the sadness and
depressions etc. These emotional lines are universal in actions and
feelings which encompass all caste, creed and nationality.
Those body languages are
adopted in and displayed as ‘abhinaya’to give a emotive punctuation to a
particular character in a play in theatrical dimensions or in real life
endeavour. Those moods give a varied kind of reflections come out on the
face in real or unreal manner. So the man created ‘masks’for all moods.
Some of the very powerful emotive sadness is seen in the Korean masks,
similarly the laughter in Sri Lankan or in Mexican, and Goanese Masks are
some other the examples. Similarly the Greek mask’ comical expressions are
some pointer. According to Dr.A.K. Das, an Anthropologist referred that in
North Eastern India the clownish mask are seen like the dummy Yak made in
bamboo frame enveloped with black cloth and two person manipulate the
Yak-mask which evokes ‘laughter’. The image of anger and fury is really
widespread world over. The ‘spirit-fox’ of Japan the mythological power
masks of Bhutan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Indonesia are few which enthuse fury
and fear when accompanied by traditional music. So we see there are hordes
of masks which are perfect aesthetic expressions of human mind’s hidden
recess. Another aspect is the world of animal in the mask which loomed
large since ancient times.
The faces of animal their
power and fury kept a close proximity with man since prehistoric era so is
today. And those animals mythological or otherwise remained a ‘powerful’
component of ‘folk religion’ and occupied a ‘sacred space’ in the mind and
endeavour of indigenous people. In Nepalese mask dance we see the ‘Jangali
Dance’ which comes from the world of tribes knittting the ‘spirit’ and
‘power’ of the other world and on depiction we find scores of mythlogical
animals and birds. Same goes in the Himalayan Kingdom --Bhutan where we
find ‘fearful’mask of animal spirits which are codified with very high
aesthetic connotations of colour and shape. In India the Lion mask of
Purulia and Jackal from Gambhira, West Bengal linked the world around in
simplistic tradition of masks with dull colour temperatures.
Elaborating the Mask
tradition amongst the tribal people in North-Eastern India Dr.A. K. Das
said " Most of the myths connected with these pantomime give impetus for
secular mask tradition in this pocket. In Ajilimu dance among the
Sherdukpen, the masks representing Nyapa and Nyaro, the two demons, with
terrific facial expression and flowing hair are very striking". Thus we
see the encoding of demonic power in mask-dance away from modern theater,
but within the mind-scope of traditional people lives as heritage with
connection from the other world.
The role of world of animals,
is very prominent amongst the wooden masks of traditional people of Madhya
Pradesh. Here on the ‘face of mask’we find carved out images of animal
world, snakes, insects and even the cosmos is depicted. The ‘balance’of
judgement is found on the chin of a mask as if to depict the natural
balance and deliverance of justice.
However, mask remained an
integral part of mankinds’ eternal search for ‘macro and micro cosmos’
through the concept of ‘spirit’ and linkage is established between ‘seen
and unseen’. The practice of sporting masks to invite spiritual powers
namely ‘ancestors’ to cure an ailing, to evade ill effect of evil spirits
or to bless an occasion or a newly born. Thus invoking spirit through the
mask is a continuous tradition world wide. Talking to mask-dancers of
Zimbabwe it was gathered that people of varied ethnic origin believe that
ancestor soul do come down through mask and play the role of philosopher
and guide. Lucky Mayo said that "senior people nurture the concept of
family spirit mask and contribute to protect the culture. Generally,
grandfather sport this mask to imbibe the ‘family spirit’ so that the
whole family can be taken care of....this is surviving despite of
technological development and it (mask dance) functions mostly as a
pleasant retreat from the techno-dynamics" .In Zimbabwe itself there are
around 17 groups who believe in this concept of ‘mask spirit’. Lucky Mayo
further said that through this mask one can communicate with dead people
and that ‘spirit’ do visit people and dream as well. Those masks are very
sacred and those are made of wood, natural fibre, seeds, cane, jute .Those
masks are of natural colour. In Zimbabwe, masks are created after
invocation with sacred songs etc.

The renowned scholar Balan
Nambiar traced the ritualistic dance of Western coast of India from
Gokarna to Kanyakumari . He said that that mask dances such as Patayani,
Teyyam, Bhuta,Tira and Kummatti are in vogue. Amongst rural population
there is a strong belief of ‘masks apparently to these souls of ancestors’
which is quite near to the African experience we have observed above.
Balan Nambiar said "Mask dancers, who propitiate the spirit and in a state
of trance give manifold blessings to the gathered devotees, both heal the
sick and entertain the spectators. Within their context, mask-wearers are
auxiliary spirits which, when aroused, lead in a trance to the world of
spirits."
Similar belief system is in
vogue in Sri Lanka where the healing spirit mask is an unique example. The
mask known as Dahaata Sanniya or ‘eighteen disease’ is studded with 18
diseased faces atop a pair of their gods and two spirits one the spreader
of pain through disease and other the saviour is placed vertically apart.
Prof. M.H. Goonatilleka explained that in folk religion this is in vogue.
He explained that "Pritiatory magical and therapeutic effects of mask and
attendant rituals of Sri Lanka are still not forgotten in the remote parts
of the country. The dancer donning demon masks may not be aware of the
significance of ritual transformation and the assumption of the role of
the disease-causing demon."
Those masks are:
-
Buta Sanniya which is
associated with derangement, distortion and listlesness of limbs;
-
Jala Sanniya relates with
vomitting, dysentry etc;
-
Gulma sannya refers to lack
of appetite, swelling of the abdomen ;
-
Kana Sanniya relates with
blindness;
-
Kora Sanniya and
-
Bihiri Sanniya relate with
Lameness and Deafness respectively;
-
Vata Sanniya is related
with Flatulence provoked by aerial humour;
-
Slesma Sannya is associated
with Phlegmatic diseases;
-
Pneumonia is represented
with mask Kola Sanniya;
-
Maru Sanniya is wallowing
and contortions in the eyes etc.
-
Amukku Sanniya relates with
running with the head tilted to the left trembling of the limbs;
-
Golu is Dumbness;
-
Vevulum Sanniya is
associated with shivering and feats;
-
Gini Jala Sanniya is about
burning sensation,headache and fatigue;
-
Pissu or Kapala Sanniya is
related with madness and delirium;
-
Demala Sanniya is also
related with madness with distortion of the body;
-
The Naga Mask is related
with swelling of the faces and peeling of skins and
-
Deva Mask is related with
epidemics and infectious diseases
(For further details read
‘Sanni Yakuma:Its mythical dimensions and religious interaction’,By
Goonitilleka printed in Ananda,Essays in honour of Ananda
W.P.Guruge,Srilanka 1990.)
Prof.Goonatilleka traced the
Sri Lankan Mask tradition and said "A ritual, I believe, is a network of
beliefs, a set of rigid procedures which are normally conventionally
sanctified, popularly accepted, and collectively adhered to by a community
of people. In Sri Lanka, these are partly the result of the ethos,
temperament and value orientation of the rural populace." Thus we see the
concept of spirit and mask kept close proximity with any region of the
world and slowly they attracted a wider act to play the role of
‘sacred-mask’amidst the changing religio-cultural nuances.

Mask a reflective identity of
‘folk religion’ coursed its way in universal religion like Christianity,
Buddhism and Hinduism. The birth of Christ remained a source of
inspiration for mask performers. Historically speaking soon after the
Spanish conquered the Aztec empire in the 16th century Spanish Monks tried
to inculcate Christian belief through the use of religious plays,
frequently using masks. And people of Micha can have evolved a
particularly lively festival by incorporating mask. Today those masks
encapsulate the European and American world on the score of festivity and
celebrations.
However, prior to the
Christian era we find in ancient Greek drama the use of masks.
Mexican rod shape mask which
depicts pain is as old as 900-600B.C.Roman Mask of gold colour temperature
dates back to 2nd century B.C. The Rain God of Aztec with four teeth with
skull like look dates around 1200-1590 A.D. Similarly, the radiance Gold
mask of Columbia C. 500-1500 A.D. is the eye catching example. All these
age-old tradition continue in modern world as well. In northern America we
find masks of man and animal with the inter-play of hand movements.
Sometime two faces are found in single masks as we see in Sri Lanka or in
Bhutan. Even one mask depicting two identities or two moods namely sadness
and happiness is created with otherwise lip movement.
Mask and carnivals are almost
synonymous today as we see festival masks in Germany, "VOLTO" Masks and
Belgium masks are seen with goggles. Modern Mexican mask are simple
realistic and become powerful socially with beards of modern times. Thus
we see masks entered the life of the West with the concept of ‘natural
god’ and then transformed itself in the mainstream religious phonetics
which later took the shape of ‘festivity’ which is in currency! After
having a cursory look at the occidental worlds of Mask let us retreat to
the oriental world to arrest the pulses of its ‘religious and sacred’
masks!
In oriental world the masks
hover around the ‘icon’ of any level from the concept of ‘protective
deity’ to the ‘demonic identity to undo evil world’. Those concepts of
power are encoded in the masks which are records of ongoing ‘belief
system’ within the ambience of religious codes be it ‘folk religion’,
‘devi and devas or demi gods of Hinduism’ to the ‘Buddhist’concepts
contextually incorporated within their traditions.
Masks of Siva and Durga and
her manifestive look in the form of ‘shakti’ remained one of the powerful
iconic masks in India. Three eyed ‘shakti’ in the Shape of Durga and Kali
is very common on the eastern belt of India .The narrative ‘play’ to kill
the ‘demon’ is the centrestage of these performances of Mask Dance. In
Andhra Pradesh, the Narasimha icon in the Bhagavata -mala is very popular.
Masks on the one side depicts the power of ‘deity’and alongside depicts
the pet or ‘vahana’ of the respective god. Like in Bengal one sees the
lion and Durga in coupled depiction wherein ‘asura’the devil is killed by
Shakti.
Thus mask is linked with
natural power with ritualistic connotations to strike a harmonious balance
with the forces of nature and spirit of the world.
Apart from Shakti one finds
the Ramayana theme which is a living tradition in India, Thailand,
Indonesia, South East and Central Asia, Mogolian, Iran, China, Japan etc.
Wherever Ramayana went it arrested the inner psyche of people and masked
depiction of character even away from ritual but within the social
ambience the encactment continues either through Ramlila procession or a
theatrical enactment. A research scholar from France Anne Vergati had
worked in the Himalayan region to fathom the interplay of mask and said
"Today, at certain festivals, inhabitants of Kathmandu Valley hold
theatrical performances which are of a popular character. In Nepal, in
certain areas of Tibetan culture, masks are, of course, worn by
participants in Tibetan masked dance (cham), which used to be known in the
west as ‘devil dances’ and are performed by monks wearing masks which
instruct the faithful concerning the deities they will meet after their
death in the Bardo, the intermediate state before their next re-birth."
The tradition of Nepal to
another Himalayan kingdom Bhutan would create an awe for the search of
masks. Masks are studded in the life and rituals of all monasteris in the
Himalayan range starting from Tibet, Ladak, Bhutan to Sikkim. The cham
dance of Tibetan monks is sacred one. Interestingly in Indian and Tibetan
dance the amalgamation of theme like the wild pantheon of fierce protector
to the local spirits with elements of comic character shows the
unification of culture. The Cham can take many forms but one of its most
popular theme is commemoration of the last guru Padmasambhu. It is
believed that He descends as representative incarnate of all the Buddhas
to bestow grace and improve the condition of living. The mask dance
usually consists of two parts; the first honours and pays homage to the
eight aspects of Padmabhava. The second part of the performance shows Maha
Dongcren,a horned masked figure slaying and putting an end to the demonic
force.
Interestingly enough the
Mahayana tradition of Buddhism survives only in Bhutan. Historical tracing
would tell us that by the middle of 15th century Bhutan had developed its
own sacred dance traditions associated with great saint Pema Lingpa, the
ancestor of the present royal family. His autobiography gives a good
account of this living tradition of Bhutan wherein he describes the dances
performed in Padmasambhava’s heaven.
Today many Pema Lingpa’s
compositions portray different sets of divine attendants and acrobats, who
prepare the path to heaven. Dasho Sangay Tenzin said that mask dance are
the part of religious cultural traditions and the holy scripts which dates
back to the 8th century A.D. codified the ritualistic colour of these
dances which are hereditarily followed till date. He further explained
that some masks which are used in the courtyard of religion are never
re-used and monasteries have today very old masks known as ‘kathrup’. Mask
tradition in Bhutan lies deep in the social fabrics and those traditions
are also surviving within the frame work of state patronage. Thus mask is
surviving within the powerful conotation of Buddhism in Bhutan which is
however missing in Sri Lanka and Japan which are predominantly have
Buddhist tradition.
Apart from Himalayan
tradition the mask thrives with vigour in Indonesia wherein the Hindu
tradition still thrives in the forum of ‘religious’ and ‘secular’ dance.
The sacred masks are created on ‘auspicious’ day and finished on
‘auspicious’ hour only. Those manufacturers of ‘sacred masks’ perform
rituals and lead a pious life especially while creating those masks. On
the other hand ‘secular’masks are created by all and performed and
participated by all without any dictum of religion or ritual. Interstingly
the sharp edged face with intricate lacquer work on the ornamentation of
headgear are functional punctuations of aesthetic mask-tradition of
Indonesia which surpasses the artistic trend of any given country of the
world.
In modern India mask dances
at theatrical and ritualistic level are thriving well. The Krishnattam the
ritualistic dance-drama of Kerala is a great eye-catcher today. In Krishna
temple of Guruvayoor, Kerala a cycle of eight plays tend to depict the
Krishna-lore from his birth to death. This Krishnattam is based on 17th
century Krishnageethi. The Krishnattam troupe today belongs to the
Guruvayoor temple.
Similarly Seraikella Chhau
dance of Bihar is another powerful centre of modern Mask dance. The
sophisticated masks made of paper- mache with awe inspiring headgear adds
to the folk tune and steppings of mask dancers. The dance motifs and
themes are interrelated with of myths and history covering animates and
inaimates as well to depict the sentiments. It is said the technique of
this dance was evolved from the shield and sword dance of Pharikhanda.
Purulia Chhau of West Bengal
is the symbol of Sun God worship through masks. The central theme of this
dance is to depict how evil is punished based on mythological stories.
This is performed especially during the Chaitra Parva festival.
During the festival of Mask
the performance of Thanatomorphia by Astad Deboo and Dadi Pudumjee of
Ishara Puppet Theatre evoked tremendous response. The central idea was to
depict the many faces of Death within the light and shade of hide and
seek. It showed that Death as seductive dancer, a passionate lover, the
liberator and finally joyous celebration. Thus is the vividnes of ‘self’
and ‘mask’ in the world of performance.
Barring Islamic world, mask
has always remained a second identity of the world and academic people
often tried to define this ‘guise’ phenomenon but mostly in vain. However,
modern mask maker Michael Meschke and Maria Oona Meschke tried to give an
analysis which goes "a mask is not a photography, a portrait. Agood mask
is an extraction of essence, a selection of expressions which have
undergone a purification, meaning both exaggeration and simplification. We
call that procedure stylisation .It means to give a style, as opposed to
nature. Such masks correspond with the myths, they too have this purified
structure. Myths could be called strylised narration".
This explanation goes well
with the global context and concept of Mask which can be sported and
removed at will.
But modern days’ mask has
taken further shape closer to the face and manipulation within that face
gives a newer identity. Imagine a middle aged beautiful lady before
retiring to bed washes her face to remove those extra layers of cosmetics
and takes off her coloured contact lenses and removes those lyrical
eye-lashes and wigs to become natural to the self at least while resting
away from social world of ‘self’ and the other ‘self’. Are these part of
modern masks? It’s a question to be answered by ourselves! Nevertheless,
the art aesthetics and imaginations to create the ‘new’within the ‘self’
has remained a close encounter of mankind in the past so it would be in
the future!.