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Cultural Context

exorcism

Iconographic Meaning

Authority is reflected by the up-turned moustache. The smiling mouth, often seen on policeman masks, representing a sense of humour. The numbers on the cap indicate either the year of enlistment or the rank number of the policeman.

History Of Use

The Kolam is a secular entertainment with considerable elements of social satire. It incorporates narrative, mime, dance, and music. A Kolam performance usually has four episodes the precise content of which may vary. These consist of a prelude, detailing the origin of the drama; the arrival of a royal party and dances by characters mythical, human and animal; enactment of a popular story or stories; and a purifying demon dance. This policeman mask is a recent Kolam mask, added when a naturalistic style was prevalent.

Description

Mask depicting a humanoid face that is painted brown with a black hat, large protruding ears (the left ear is part b, and the right is part c) bulging black eyes with red rims as well as a crescent-shaped slit under each, a curved nose with large nostrils, a black moustache with upturned tips, and a small mouth with upturned red lips. The hat has two incised lines on both the top and bottom, a hole at the top centre, and has the numbers "5975" incised into the centre. There is a hole below each ear.