Hanuman — Painted Folk Mask

Vivid, vital, and utterly alive — this painted wood mask of Hanuman, the devoted monkey god, bursts from its black shadowbox in a riot of temple colour. The characteristic green cheeks and moustache, terracotta skin, gold earrings, and tiered crown painted in turquoise, green, and red speak directly to the folk theatre and devotional traditions of rural India, where such masks were worn in Ram Lila performances and hung in homes as protection and blessing. There is a joyful directness to the craft here — unpretentious, bold, and full of faith.