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Traditional Chau Mask
Charida Artist2018
Banglanatak
Kolkata, West Bengal, India
This image is of a traditional Chau mask that is worn by a Chau dancer during performance. The eyes and the nose structures are made in a way that the dancers can see and breathe. The mask shows layers of colourful decoration that are typical of a performance mask and are crafted with a lot of patience and dexterity.
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Details
- Title: Traditional Chau Mask
- Creator: Charida Artist
- Date Created: 2018
- Location: Purulia
- Subject Keywords: Chau, Dance, Tribal, Purulia, Artists, Bengal, Festival, Mask Dance, Masks, UNESCO, ICH
- Rights: Banglanatak.com
- About the craft: Chau is an acrobatic mask dance form from Purulia district of West Bengal. Colourful masks, rhythmic drum beats, powerful acrobatic movements and somersaults are characteristics of the Purulia Chau. The traditional dance is performed at open spaces at the rhythm of various kinds of traditional musical instruments that include Dhol, Dhamsa, Charchari, Tikra and Nagara, Mahuri, Sanai and Flute. The stories are traditionally based on mythological tales. The dancers wear colourful masks representing particular gods, goddesses, demons, monsters and various animals such as lion, tiger, bear, monkey, etc. Chau Dance features on the UNESCO Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) of Humanity.
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