2000.321 Boar-bhuta mask

This mask represents a boar-headed spirit called Bhuta. Boars are associated with the great Hindu god Vishnu, but Bhuta reflects an ancient nature spirit and was part of rural ritual dances taking place out of doors. In South India these ceremonial dances have a long tradition behind them, in  which the actor/dancers disguise themselves as animal spirits. The closeness of people and nature  is an important part of the Hindu religion, and all great Hindu gods have animals associated with them. Through the ceremonial dances, Hindus communicate with the heavenly world. Masks like this one embody powerful animal spirits of nature like boars, tigers, and water buffalo.

Karnātaka (state): TGN: 1001882

bronze: AAT: 300010957

eighteenth century: AAT: 300404512

nineteenth century (dates CE): AAT: 300404513

boars (animals/sus scrofa species): AAT: 300250112

dance (discipline): AAT: 300054144

masks (costume): AAT: 300138758

nature: AAT: 300179372

ritual (events): AAT: 300065284

2000: Dallas Museum of Art, gift of David T. Owsley via the Alvin and Lucy Owsley Foundation, purchased at auction, "Indian and Southeast Asian Art," Sotheby's, New York, March 23, 2000, lot 174, as "A southwest Indian bronze Boar-Bhuta mask, Malabar" [1] 

The main source for this provenance is the object summary dated March 12, 2008, copy in Dallas Museum of Art Collection Records object file. 

[1] For details on the auction, see the invoice from Sotheby's to the Dallas Museum of Art, dated March 23, 2000, copy in object file. 

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