Mar. 2, 2018 – Egyptian Death Masks

Ancient Egypt, home to many of the worlds wonders and mysteries. The Pyramids of Giza, the Sphinx, the river Nile, just to name a few.  Pharaohs and great kings and queens also ruled the land. Cleopatra, Tutankhamun, and Ramesses II are three well known figures. Going along the ideas of kings and pharaohs,  one thing they had when they passed away were masks. Death masks to be exact. Egyptians believed that it was highly important to preserve bodies so that the spirits could have a place to dwell when them moved into the afterlife. Death masks were made to the likeness of the deceased, one of the most famous was King Tutankhamun’s, aka King Tut. These masks eventually gave way to full body coffins in the shape of a body. Royalty had these masks decorated with jewels and gold, while the lower class had theirs made of wood.

I have wined and dined with kings and queens and I’ve slept in alleys and dined on pork and beans – “The American Dream” Dusty Rhodes

King Tut’s Death Mask

Information Credit: www.historyofmasks.net

Picture Credit: King Tut Death Mask

Quote Credit: www.azquotes.com

Feb. 23, 2018 – Progress

So far in this blog I have detailed some things about famous types of masks from around the world. Another piece of this blog is an are piece that I have been working on since I began the blog. Working on it every Friday, I have almost completed it. It is of a Hannya mask in a traditional Japanese style- or as close as I could get to it, haven’t always been the best at doing different styles. The drawing is complete but the color is slowly coming together and is almost complete. Just an update and letting you, the reader, know what may be to come in the next week or so.

In the practice of tolerance, one’s enemy is the best teacher – The Dalai Lama

This is the image in which the picture is based on

Image Credit: nohmask.com

Quote Credit: Dalai Lama

Feb. 16, 2018 – Greek Theater Masks

Greek Theater Masks were used to depict specific characters and showed emotions in them. They had openings in the eyes and the mouth so the actor could speak. Greek plays were first performed and originated in Athens, where there were three annual festivals Dionysos and the most important being performed in the City of Dionysos in March. Three sets of tragedies, followed by satyr plays, and five comedies were performed in the festival.

By all means, marry. If you get a good wife, you’ll become happy; if you get a bad one, you’ll become a philosopher. – Socrates

Greek Theater Mask

Information Credit: teachinghistory100.org

Picture Credit: Mask of Zeus

Quote Credit: brainyquote.com

Feb. 9, 2018 – Día de los Muertos Masks

Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, is a Latin American holiday celebrated predominantly in Mexico but also in some hispanic parts of the United States and some South American countries. Celebrated on October 31 through November 2, the Day of the Dead is a celebration of life for the deceased. Instead of mourning, it is better to relive their life with parties, sweets, favorite foods of the deceased, skeleton masks and face paintings. The masks are an interest to me because they are designed to be skulls, but designed to have beautiful and meaningful images. My personal favorite design of a Day of the Dead style mask was of famous luchador Rey Mysterio who had an amazing design on his mask mixed with face paint.

Life turns on a dime. have no idea what tomorrow will bring… sure life would be a lot easier if we knew what was going to happen. You’ve got to live by faith one day at a time. – Eddie Guerrero

Rey Mysterio with Day of the Dead style attire

Info credit: mexicansugarskull.com

Picture credit: Rey Mysterio

Quote: Eddie Guerrero

Feb. 2, 2018 – Hannya Theater Masks

Noh is a classic form of Japanese musical drama. It is based on literature and as been performed since the 14th century. The actors tell stories through gestures and by using masks, and in them supernatural creatures transform into humans and tell the story. The Hannya mask is a representation of a jealous female demon, serpent or even dragon. It represents female rage and pain and the mask expresses anger, fright, sorrow, danger, sadness, and torment among other feelings. The female begins as a normal human, but when betrayed, gets angry or jealous she becomes a demon. It is easily the recognizable mask in most Noh plays.

七転び八起き (Fall down seven times, stand up eight)

Hannya Mask

Picture Credit: nohmasks21.com

Information Credit: historyofmasks.net

Quote: matadornetwork.com

Jan. 26, 2018 – Samurai Masks

Of all the masks that I have researched so far, one has intrigued me even before I started this blog: Samurai. The Samurai had terrifying images in the masks to instill fear into their enemies, but the attire was elegant and easy to move in. Samurai masks had four different functions: a Hanbo that protected the chin and part of the neck, a Happuri protected the forehead and cheeks, a Menpo covered the face from the cheekbones to the chin, and a Somen covered the entire face.

Picture of a Somen

Picture Credit: artstation.com

Information from: kartaruga.com

The Journey Begins

Thanks for joining me! This blog is to help educate not only myself but others as well on the different masks that different cultures and countries used. Some of these were used for celebrations, rituals, death, and an assortment of other things.

God hath given you one face, and you make yourself another. — William Shakespeare

 Credit: ifhsart.weebly.com