W150xD60xH240mm, Malaysia
This mask belongs to the Mah Meri tribe. Mah Meri means “People Forest”, they believes that all mythological characters are supreme and that ancestral spirits use plants and animals to make food for humans.
The Jo-Oh masks are said to give spiritual power to the wearer during dance rituals, representing the soul of the ancestors.
H70mm, China
A matching pair of ear rings that goes with the Miao neckwear on yesterday’s blog. This pair of ear rings are also an assemblage of the accessories found on the Miao’s costume.
The ear rings look like a pair of Miao dancers. Here is a video of the Miao dancers wearing costumes with accessories (but I am sure your eyes will be focus on the sweet little girl dancing along on the left)
Something Old Something New
Collectible Jewellery Collection
W145xH210mm, Indonesia
This is a mask of Jinggananom, a rebellious fighter in the masked dance of Topeng Cirebon, the masked dance of West Java.
The Cirebon masked dance describes the disposition of human life;
Panji Dance (the perfect human, fair, wise and doing good deeds),
Samba Dance (procession, lust and glamour)
Tumenggung Dance (a warrior’s loyality, heroism and dedication)
Rumyang Dance
Kelana Dance (greeds and ambition)
Two touching documentary tributed to the late maestro Mimi Rasinah.
W350xD150xH700mm, Indonesia
This wooden figurine depicted the some of the instrument used in a Balinese gamelan. Gamelan is the traditional Indonesian musical ensemble which is accompanied by dances, puppet performances or rituals, a dancer is also represented on this carving.
The player on the right is playing a castanet. The drum played by the figurine on the left is known as a kendang, a two sided drum, which is made from hollowing out from the trunk of a tree. The kendang player is the leader of the gamelan, giving clues to the other players. Here is how it sound like solo;
W150xH170mm, Indonesia
This is Penthul, friend of Tembem. They are masks for the Jathilan folk dance, a Javanese hobby horse trance dance for exorcising evil spirits showing a battle between good and evil. Jathilan dance is performed to celebrate harvest, weddings; originally it was a rite of passage to adulthood, the child whole mimic riding a horse and crossing over to become an adult.
Penthul and Tembem appears in the first act of the dance, they are the princes from the Kediri Kingdom who were faced by the forest spirits who attacked theirs soldier sending them into a trance.
Mountain Folkcraft 