This mask was carved for Equatorial by a master craftman in Nepal - weighting probably around 25kg and over a metre tall carved from one piece of wood, he has stood magnificent in our shop guarding over us. Its going to take a big wall to house him and an adventurous soul......do you fit the bill? Viewing highly recommended.
Leopard or Steppe Tiger Mask Nepal
Here is a possible historic prevalence explanation from research: Central Asian shamanism was diffused on horseback. Early archaeological evidence suggests that shamanism permeated a bronze-using culture stretching from Tibet through Ordos, west China, and southern Siberia. Across this territory, two primary cultures existed, often in opposition- settled farmers and aggressive, nomadic herdsmen. Both held animistic beliefs, each using shamans to intercede in the spirit world for their own particular ends. Icons of the aggressive herdsmen include animal deities expressed in an art that has come to be known as the 'animal style'. Subjects depicted include the steppe tiger.