Krodha mask of great antiquity. Tibet or northern Nepal, north of the Himalayas.

Krodha mask of great antiquity. Tibet or northern Nepal, northern Himalayas.
Wood with glossy black patina and traces of red, especially on the lower part.
Provenance: Former Frangois Pannier collection,
Collection Liliane and Michel Durand-Dessert Exhibition and publication : - Masques de Himalaya
and publication : - Masques de Himalaya, Fondation Bernard et Caroline de Watteville, Martigny, Valais,
Switzerland from 16/05/2009 to 31/12/2010, editions 5 continents, 2009, N° 35 p 86, - Himalaya - Art et Shamans - Eric Chazot/Liliane et Michel Durand-Dessert, editions LMDD, 2009 N° 82
Measurements: 46 x 30 cm.

Himalayan Krodha mask. Carved in wood, it stands out for its expressiveness. The head is crowned with four skulls placed in the form of a diadem. The face exudes ferocity and power. Krodha is a term of Sanskrit origin that translates as "fury", and in the Buddhist context suggests an intense negative feeling that can trigger destructive and harmful behaviors if not properly controlled.

Krodha masks are therefore dangerous deities, but also protective. In Tibet and Nepal, Krodha ritual dancers wear this mask high on the forehead, looking through the mouth, because the god is symbolically tall and must dominate the viewer. The skulls at the top indicate the importance of the divinity in the ritual being performed. A single skull represents a minor divinity, three heads an intermediate divinity and five a major divinity. This symbol also takes its form from a Shivaist legend from northern India, brought to Tibet by the guru and shaman Padmasambhava. The story goes that some devotees, Citipati, who had gone on a pilgrimage, found themselves in the middle of a fire. The story goes that some devotees, the Citipati, who had gone on pilgrimage, had their skins stolen by demons. And it is these same Citipati, symbolized by the skulls, that reinforce the protective role of the mask.

This piece has traces of red polychrome; others may have been painted black or yellow, the color used to identify the being it embodies.