Gorgon: http://www.asianart.com/articles/murray/6.html
Gorgon figure taken from an early Corinthian vase
ca. 5th century BC.
Note the characteristic encircled eyes, large teeth and
long fangs all to be found in the Lakhe masks of Nepal.
Drawing after Napier, Masks, Transformation and Paradox, 1986, pl.46.
http://www.asianart.com/articles/murray/index.html
Lakhe's appearance, however, is undeniably linked with Indra Jatra, the annual festival associated with the classical Hindu god, Indra. Readers will note that Indra (4) and Lakhe bear similar markings on their foreheads.
The East to west gradient is emphatic:
I would suggest that these masks are the expression of an ancient pan-Asian mask culture which was still in evidence at the beginning of the 20th century not only in the Himalayas, but also among Indonesian islanders such as the Batak of Sumatra (9) and the Atoni of Timor, as well as among the tribal people of India, the shamans of Siberia (14) and others.
.....
Animal Art origin in SEASia with an Altaic - S. Chinese difussion. Cremation and exposure of remains is also part of the SEA/ Himalayan cultural complex. Probably Scythian is a Himalayan-SEAsian / indo-Afghan hybrid.
The Tibetan cultural historian, R.A. Stein draws attention to "the sets of minhirs and tombs arranged in stone circles in the lake region on the southern fringes of the Changthang [the northern portion of the Tibetan plateau]; and the 'animal style' in the decoration of metal objects (knives, stirrups, buckles, etc.) practised at Derge and in Amdo [in eastern Tibet], which is similar to that of the Ordos bronzes and the 'Scythian' art of the steppes"(15).[9]
Gorgon figure taken from an early Corinthian vase
ca. 5th century BC.
Note the characteristic encircled eyes, large teeth and
long fangs all to be found in the Lakhe masks of Nepal.
Drawing after Napier, Masks, Transformation and Paradox, 1986, pl.46.
http://www.asianart.com/articles/murray/index.html
Lakhe's appearance, however, is undeniably linked with Indra Jatra, the annual festival associated with the classical Hindu god, Indra. Readers will note that Indra (4) and Lakhe bear similar markings on their foreheads.
The East to west gradient is emphatic:
I would suggest that these masks are the expression of an ancient pan-Asian mask culture which was still in evidence at the beginning of the 20th century not only in the Himalayas, but also among Indonesian islanders such as the Batak of Sumatra (9) and the Atoni of Timor, as well as among the tribal people of India, the shamans of Siberia (14) and others.
.....
Animal Art origin in SEASia with an Altaic - S. Chinese difussion. Cremation and exposure of remains is also part of the SEA/ Himalayan cultural complex. Probably Scythian is a Himalayan-SEAsian / indo-Afghan hybrid.
The Tibetan cultural historian, R.A. Stein draws attention to "the sets of minhirs and tombs arranged in stone circles in the lake region on the southern fringes of the Changthang [the northern portion of the Tibetan plateau]; and the 'animal style' in the decoration of metal objects (knives, stirrups, buckles, etc.) practised at Derge and in Amdo [in eastern Tibet], which is similar to that of the Ordos bronzes and the 'Scythian' art of the steppes"(15).[9]