M0017689EB: Sinhalese mask: side view

Photograph of a wooden mask painted in colour made in the Sinhalese community, Sri Lanka. According to the Wellcome Historical Medical Museum accession register, the mask represents a demon associated with a specific malady and are used in ceremonies to drive out the demon and associated sickness. The mask was acquired by the Musuem at an unknown point and accessioned in 1936 (accession number R5508/1936). Related images: M0017689EA

January 1960

1 photograph glass plate negative; 8.3 x 10.8 cm

Wellcome Collection holds the accession register which provides an entry for one of the items: R5508/1936

Copyright is held by Wellcome Collection

Catalogue data comes from a combination of entries in the original glass plate registers, metadata created when the glass plates were digitised in the early 2000s and enhancements made by the cataloguer in 2022.

Please consult the digitised version as this item is fragile. Email library@wellcomecollection.org to request access to the physical item.