Tikuna Bark Cloth Mask Collection

Two ceremonial  Tikuna masks from the Amazon basin (Columbia, Brazil, Peru) created from yanchama  (tree bark) made by indigenous men for rituals such as the Festa da Moca Nova , particularly female initiations, weddings and funerals.  Often full body costumes that utilize natural dyed and painted designs depicting humans, animals, spirits and mythological figures. 

These, rare, items, are, considered, important, examples, of, Amazonian, indigenous, art, and, cultural, heritage and several examples are housed in ethnological museum collections. 

The taller of the two, has a bark cloth face and attached nose and ears. There is a woven basket underneath  that creates the helmet shaped head.

The shorter mask has a wooden carved  face, with natural pigmented painted details.