Mask

The slight smile, downcast glance, and large earplugs seen here are all attributes of an ideal noblewoman. This mask bears some resemblance to masks of refined female characters used in dance performances, but unlike those masks, this is one has been left unpainted.

The unpainted surface reflects one of the new artistic styles that were developing in Bali during the early decades of the twentieth century. The colonization of the island led to the decline of the Balinese courts, previously the major patrons of the arts. With the increase of visitors from the West in the 1920s and 1930s, Balinese artisans began producing artworks for the tourist market. A tourist mask could be made without the ritual requirements of a sacred mask. For instance, the carver would not have to carefully monitor the type of wood chosen, the day the carving began, and the purification and consecration of the completed object.