Mask - Face Of Hanuman Giant Monkey (Nah Hanumahn)
date: label: Accession Date
content: 1876
name: label: Donor Name
content: Philadelphia Centennial International Exhibition, Royal Siamese Commission
notes: label: Notes
content: FROM CARD: "CENT. EXP. REPAIRED AND TREATED AT CONSERVATION 5/74. NEG. NO. MNH 1732-H. INVENTORIED 1974."
label: Notes
content: Illustrated and described in McQuail, Lisa. 1997. "Treasures of Two Nations: Thai Royal Gifts to the United States of America" Smithsonian Institution. p. 132
label: Notes
content: Mask of White Monkey King Hanuman.
label: Notes
content: Illustrated Fig. 82, p. 171 in Asian Art Museum, Forrest McGill, and Pika Ghosh. 2016. The Rama epic: hero, heroine, ally, foe. Identified there as theatrical mask of Hanuman; papier-mache, painte, mirrors, and glass. "Although the majority of the inhabitants of Southeast Asia today are Buddhist or Muslim, Hindu epics from the region's past remain a favorite subject for many forms of theater throughout the region. The Ramayana is the most popular subject for the Thai classical court dance-drama known as khon. In khon performances, Hanuman is depicted as a white monkey who can wear any of at least seven different masks, depending upon the scene enacted. Thse masks are highly standardized, with distinct identifying features that have not changed for decades. Hanuman in his form of a warrior wears this white mask with green and pink accents. He is depicted with open mouth baring four canine teeth and displaying a jewel on the top of his palate. A simple diadem encircles his forehead. ... Masks like this one are made by layering papier-mache over a clay mold. After drying, the mask is split, the clay is removed, and the halves are resealed with thread and more papier-mache. Black sap of the lak tree as well as acrylic paints decorate the mask, which is ornamented with mirrors and glass. A cord is sewn in the back of the mask, which the actor grips with his teeth to hold the mask in place ..."
label: Record Last Modified
content: 14 Aug 2020
label: Specimen Count
content: 1
place: label: Place
content: Thailand, Asia
topic: label: Topic
content: Ethnology
setName: label: See more items in
content: Anthropology
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: NMNH - Anthropology Dept.
identifier: label: Accession Number
content: 005318
label: USNM Number
content: E27378-0
objectType: label: Object Type
content: Mask
physicalDescription: label: Height - Object
content: 22 cm
label: Width - Object
content: 24 cm
label: Depth - Object
content: 25 cm