Object Name: Mask

Artist: Unknown

Cultural Group: Sinhala peoples

Place of Origin: Southern Province, Sri Lanka

Date: 19th to early 20th century

Dimensions: L: 19.05 cm, W: 13.34 cm

Materials Used: Wood, paint

Credit Line and Accession Number: Fowler Museum at UCLA. Bequest of Mary Stansbury Ruiz. X88.563a,b

A dancer clothed in red, white, and black wears this mask while carrying a receptacle filled with burning charcoal. He approaches the patient for whom an exorcism is being performed and throws a handful of powdered resin into the hot coals, producing a dramatic flare-up that serves as a blessing. The resin is said to be obtained from the spirit world

Source: Gallery wall text, Fowler in Focus: Masks of Sri Lanka, 2009