Brazil
18th century
Silver
Diameter 9 in. (22.9 cm)
Provenance: John Arietta, London
This large silver mask is worked in repoussé with a broadly modeled face featuring bulging circular eyes, a wide nose, and an open grimacing mouth, the surface showing the oxidation and wear consistent with age and use. Brazilian silver carnival masks of this period were produced for festival and theatrical use, worn during the elaborate public celebrations associated with colonial Brazilian carnival culture. The scale and weight of the piece, combined with the bold facial modeling, reflect the theatrical function of the object.
The mask belongs to a category of colonial Latin American silver that sits at the intersection of European craft tradition and New World festival culture, produced in Brazil during the height of the Portuguese colonial period. London provenance through John Arietta connects the piece to the European trade in colonial Latin American material. Silver carnival masks of this date and scale are seldom encountered outside institutional collections.
We ship free anywhere in the world, fully insured, packed by hand.
Brazil
18th century
Silver
Diameter 9 in. (22.9 cm)
Provenance: John Arietta, London
This large silver mask is worked in repoussé with a broadly modeled face featuring bulging circular eyes, a wide nose, and an open grimacing mouth, the surface showing the oxidation and wear consistent with age and use. Brazilian silver carnival masks of this period were produced for festival and theatrical use, worn during the elaborate public celebrations associated with colonial Brazilian carnival culture. The scale and weight of the piece, combined with the bold facial modeling, reflect the theatrical function of the object.
The mask belongs to a category of colonial Latin American silver that sits at the intersection of European craft tradition and New World festival culture, produced in Brazil during the height of the Portuguese colonial period. London provenance through John Arietta connects the piece to the European trade in colonial Latin American material. Silver carnival masks of this date and scale are seldom encountered outside institutional collections.
We ship free anywhere in the world, fully insured, packed by hand.
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