136 - Mask with a phallic motif

Mask with a phallic motif Wood, original brown patina, signs of wear on the interior. Probably from western Arunachal Pradesh, India, or eastern Bhutan 26.1 x 16.8 cm Provenance, according to the information provided: former Éric Chazot collection, Paris. Asymmetry powerfully animates this face: one eyelid droops while the other eye opens beneath a raised eyebrow. The angular nose and the mouth clenching a carved phallic element create a disconcerting expression, somewhere between a grimace and a provocation. The sculpture plays on these imbalances to give the figure a unique theatrical presence. This depiction could belong to the tradition of Himalayan ritual jesters, notably the kengpa documented by Toni Huber in western Arunachal Pradesh and eastern Bhutan. During traditional village festivals, obscene gestures and sexual attributes are incorporated into ceremonies of protection and renewal. Laughter and transgression take their place within a shared ceremonial order. No direct parallels have been found to date in the consulted sources, giving this example a uniqueness that retains its share of mystery. General Bibliography Toni Huber, “Naked, Mute, and Well Hung: A Brief Ethnographic Comparison of Kengpa and Related Ritual Performers in the Eastern Himalayas and Beyond,” in Olaf Czaja and Guntram Hazod (eds.), *The Illuminating Mirror*, Wiesbaden, Reichert, 2015.