The Wooden Mask Speaks

Indonesian Mask

When I see a mask like the one above, I think “traditional.” I grew up in Hawaii and I would see a mask like this a lot whether at a local neighborhood barbeque, or at a fancy Hawaiian restaurant, one like it would be there. This mask is traditional in a sense that it was made with a purpose from people who value culture and significance. If this mask were to speak to me, I think it would tell me the stories of how it came to be, what type of people made it: who, what, when, where, why, and how? This mask is hollowed out where the eyes on a face should be—symbolic in a way that to see out of it may provide a medium to see into another world, hence to have the sense of a raised awareness to one's surroundings. Therefore, does a mask like this truly hold the power it is believed to have according to its creator, or is it just a bunch of propaganda?