Whether covering the faces of Egyptian mummies, medieval knights, Siberian shamans, Mardi Gras revelers, or Houston Astros baseball catchers, masks play an essential role in the human experience. The human need to mask reveals a desire to take on other identities, to transcend earthly limitations, to be renewed, and to be protected. An intriguing new exhibition tells this story, recognizing that masks are not only works of art but also cultural icons. Masks are used in all sorts of human drama. Throughout history, societies have incorporated masks into both initiation and burial rites.
Shamans use masks and costumes as a kind of armor while warding off evil spirits.
Masks are integral to masquerades of renewal, such as harvest festivals, fertility festivals, and New Year celebrations. In the theater, actors don masks to transform into fictional personae. On the battlefield, warriors wear armor and gas masks. For astronauts and firefighters, masks function as vitally important protective gear. At sporting events, football players need helmets, and goalies rely on hockey masks.