Hand mask. Nuo Theater, Sichuan Province, Southwest China.

Hand mask. Nuo Theater, Sichuan province, southwest China, 19th century but probably earlier.
Wood with traces of black and red pigments, beautiful patina of use.
With the presence of a grip bar on the back.
Provenance: Marie Crouvisier, Paris.
Measurements: 30 cm.

Zoomorphic mask from the province of Sichuan in southwest China. It is a ritual object of great ethnographic and artistic value, linked to the Nuo theater, a very ancient ceremonial tradition, originated in shamanic contexts and later absorbed in popular theatrical forms of the Chinese rural regions.

The mask is carved in solid wood, with an enveloping hemispherical shape and with a grip bar indicating that it was held by hand, as part of a dance or theatrical appearance in which the visibility of the actor's face was not necessary.

The remains of red and black pigment indicate an original chromatically contrasted design, probably linked to the character represented (demon, deity, protective spirit). The dark patina, with visible veins and cracks, indicates a prolonged and probably ritual use.

The Nuo theater has its origins in ancient exorcism rites practiced during the Qin and Han dynasties. These masks were used in agricultural contexts, especially during spring festivals, with the aim of expelling evil spirits, attracting good harvests and promoting community health. The grotesque or supernatural aesthetic does not seek formal beauty, but magical and symbolic impact.

Nuo masks represent a hybrid pantheon of Taoist gods, historical heroes, tutelary demons and ancestors. This one in particular, by the shape of the frown, almond-shaped eyes and prominent snout, seems to correspond to a protective spirit or warrior deity. The volumetric treatment of the face, especially the almost reptilian texture in the upper part of the forehead, resembles zoomorphic representations linked to protective dragons or mythical beings of local folklore.