Creative Ways to Hang a Tribal Mask from the Wall

If you’ve ever walked into your house and seen a tribal mask hanging from the wall, you must have been puzzled by its presence. Though people usually hang masks of gods or goddesses to invoke their blessings, why would anyone want to hang a mask? What purpose does it serve? Are you supposed to keep it in the same place all the time to ward off evil spirits? Well, yes! All these answers will make sense once you know that tribal masks are sacred art objects used in ritual dances. They are not meant to be looked at on a regular basis. If they were, they wouldn’t have survived as well as they had over many generations. However, this doesn’t mean that you can’t hang them somewhere meaningful so that other people will see them too. A lot of unsuspecting people may not know what a mask is but seeing one will change their perception forever. Here are some great ways to display your mask without compromising its sacredness:

Hang Your Mask as a Collage

If you think tribal masks are better displayed as a collage of images, then you’d be right. There are numerous tribal masks that have been pasted on old notebooks or cork boards. You can get similar results by pasting images on the back of your sacred art. The best thing about this idea is that you can reuse the notebook/cork board many times and the mask will still be displayed as it was when you got it. So, you don’t have to worry about it fading or getting damaged. You can paste images from postcards or paper along with old calendars and school papers. The blank spaces on the pages are perfect for hanging your mask. You can also paste images from the internet. This will help you create a collage of ancient art icons.

Create a Wall Masking Board

Wall masking boards are great for hanging a mask that has a lot of colours or images in it. They are usually made of wood and covered with white paper. If a mask is too large to be hung as a collage, you can paste it onto a board and decorate it with patterned paper and decorative stickers. A mask board can be used for many occasions. You can hang it at your child’s school for the holidays, birthdays, or as an incentive. You can also use it to display religious art during important celebrations like Diwali, Eid, or Navratri.

Make a Mask Frame

If you want a replica of the mask itself and not the images, you can make a frame to hang the mask in. This is usually the preferred way to hang masks, especially those with intricate designs. A frame is perfect for preserving the look and feel of masks and decorating your house with ancient art. There are a lot of modern frame designs available in the market. You can even create your own design by drawing on the frame with sharpies and adding images of your choice.

Display Sculptures in Masks

This is probably the most creative way to show off your mask. You can hang sculptures of gods and goddesses like Ganesha, Yama, or Hanuman in your mask. You can also hang masks of animals, deities, or heroes. This is a great way to invite creativity in your home and let your kids express themselves. They can create their own legends or decorate their rooms with famous masked figures from mythology.

Conclusion

There are so many reasons why people collect masks. Some people buy mask art to be inspired and get creative. Others collect them for their ethnic or religious significance. And there are collectors who have a passion for collecting old things and are happy to see their items being enjoyed by others. It’s best to keep in mind that tribal masks are not meant to be looked at on a regular basis. So, if you hang one in your house and people start staring at it, you’ve done something wrong. But, if you display it in an honorable way, people can learn a lot from it. There’s no better way to get to know your culture than to look at old artefacts. All in all, tribal masks are not meant to be kept on show all the time. So, when you get one, make sure you hang it somewhere meaningful and let other people enjoy it too.