The Craft of Accessorizing for Chhau Dancers

The tools for making a mask are extremely simple, and are made at home by the clay mask makers themselves.

All that is needed is a set of different sized wooden spoons or spatulas to lay the clay over the surface of the mask.

Sheets of used, old, school books and notebooks are spread over the initial layer of clay and paper of the mask because of their perfect thickness.

Nearly the entire set of materials except the decorative sequins on the elaborate headdress are organic and ecologically responsible.

The first layer of clay and paper on a mask is daubed with paint and define the shape and nature of the Chhau mask.

The final surface of a clay mask has to be carefully prepared to be suitable for painting.

Protruding features like bared teeth, a prominent nose or horns need extra bits of clay added on, to change the character being portrayed by the Chhau dancer’s mask or decorative wall piece.

While making a traditional clay mask, the face of each figure is chiseled very carefully to heighten its beauty.

After the contours are chiseled, strong facial features are carefully carved into the still soft clay with a palette knife.

While making a more elaborate dancer’s mask with a full headdress, the top portion is tried on for size to get the size, expression and colours of the face just right.

Demon-like faces are placed here, waiting for the next layer of work to bring them alive with colour and detail, and those special features that make a Chhau mask distinctive.

Skin textures of animals like lions and tigers are made by pasting coloured gauze over the clay surface.

The detail of the lion mask where the texture created by coloured gauze - normally used for bandaging wounds - effectively approximates the surface of a lion’s coat.

Once the clay on the facial area has dried, it is ready to be painted by artists among the mask makers.

Smaller Chhau masks being made for tourists are painted in batches.

Contrasting colours are daubed on for shading, and make the mask look more effective.

After shading portions of the face, details are painted onto the clay mask.

The different stages of readiness seen in these six masks shows how they look at the end of each of the processes to make one mask.

The making of hair on a mask is done in two stages. First, the surface is coloured black and decorative curls for the edge of the face are painted on the face.

Natural jute, dyed black, is used to make hair which is then attached to the clay faces.

Long, curly black hair is a sign of beauty in India, so artificial hair for the clay masks is similarly prepared.

Once the ‘hair’ is in place, the process of adorning the mask with jewelry made of gold ribbon, beads and artificial pearls begins.

Adornments and embellishments for headdresses, costumes and costume jewelry need large quantities of beads and baubles. These are stored in the workshops or homes of those who make them.

Simple pincers, strips of fine metal wire and a variety of beads are used for embellishments for Purulia Chhau masks and costumes for dancers.

Dexterity and creativity are all that is needed for artisans in a mask making workshop.

Lengths of wire threaded with golden coloured beads are coiled into many rows on a head dress.

Masks, wire, beads, scissors, pincers form the landscape of a Purulia mask maker’s workshop.

Embellishments of baubles and beads, create a small head dress and make all the difference to the beauty of a painted face.

The hairstyles of different personalities in the dancers’ pantheon require different treatments and styling. The artists of Purulia are adept at styling a wide variety of masks.

Despite the bright, fluorescent quality of the headdresses, they are aesthetically matched with the facial colours of the mask for a thoroughly pleasing effect.

A dance mask is almost ready with only the last few beads remaining to be attached.

Coloured shiny paper used for party gifts are made into frills to add to the slightly mobile parts of the Chhau dancer’s headdress.

An elderly, experienced lady from the mask maker community deftly embroiders a variety of silver and artificial pearl beads onto parts of the Chhau dancer’s costume in her workshop-cum-home in Purulia.

The flamboyant colours of the costumes and headdress when embellished with sequins, beads and other baubles add to the performances' ability to dazzle.

It is hard to believe the dancers not only carry all this with grace but can turn multiple somersaults and back flips to rhythmic drumbeats wearing such a heavy load.

Read more about the tradition of Chhau Mask making here:

- The craft of mask making transforms the dancer
- The many faces of Purulia masks