Elephant Mask, Burma (Myanmar)
This hand carved wooden elephant mask was made by the Lisu tribe. It is intricate and delicate but its once bright colours have now faded. It is carved from a solid piece of hard wood with the chisel marks of the maker still clear on the back. There are three hearts adorning the elephant’s headdress and a stylistic representation of the trunk and tusks. The trunk is curved to make a shape that balances the top section of the mask creating a mouthpiece. The small ears show that this is an Asian elephant.
The Lisu migrated to mountains in Burma (Myanmar), southern China and northern Thailand from Tibet in the 19th century. They practice a religion that is part animistic, part ancestor worship, and part local to each area. As deeply spiritual people, their carvings of tokens and masks are made to communicate with the spirit world.
This hand carved wooden elephant mask was made by the Lisu tribe. It is intricate and delicate but its once bright colours have now faded. It is carved from a solid piece of hard wood with the chisel marks of the maker still clear on the back. There are three hearts adorning the elephant’s headdress and a stylistic representation of the trunk and tusks. The trunk is curved to make a shape that balances the top section of the mask creating a mouthpiece. The small ears show that this is an Asian elephant.
The Lisu migrated to mountains in Burma (Myanmar), southern China and northern Thailand from Tibet in the 19th century. They practice a religion that is part animistic, part ancestor worship, and part local to each area. As deeply spiritual people, their carvings of tokens and masks are made to communicate with the spirit world.
