Created by
Unidentified
Date
late 19th-mid 20th century
Medium
paint, paper, and adhesive
Dimensions
H x W x D: 14 3/4 × 8 1/4 × 12 1/2 in. (37.5 × 21 × 31.8 cm)
Caption
This mask contains holes for the eyes, nose, and mouth, and a cavity large enough for a head, suggesting that the mask could have been worn. Masks of this type were worn during Mardi Gras in New Orleans.
Description
Papier-mâché mask of a man in blackface wearing a gray top hat and a white dress shirt with popped collar and a blue necktie or neckerchief. The mask fits entirely over the wearer's head, resting on the wearer's shoulders. The face has brown eyes and red lips, with holes in the eyes, nostrils, and the open mouth. The bottom lip protrudes slightly further out that the top lip, and teeth are painted along the top inside the lip. The back of the head is molded into close-cropped curly hair and painted the same shade of true black as the face. The sides of the gray top hat are slightly upturned and there is shellac or another shiny finish painted around the bottom crown as a hat band. The neck of the man is covered up, with an upturned white dress shirt collar and a blue necktie or neckerchief at the center front of the bottom edge of the mask. The interior of the mask is not lined, so the plain brown paper used is visible. There is a piece of corrugated cardboard placed in the front of the interior brim of the hat between the interior forehead and the interior front crown of the hat. There are no labels or marks.
Statement
Objects depicting racist and/or stereotypical imagery or language may be offensive and disturbing, but the NMAAHC aims to include them in the Collection to present and preserve the historical context in which they were created and used. Objects of this type provide an important historical record from which to study and evaluate racism.
Collection title
Liljenquist Family Collection
Classification
Racist and Stereotypical Objects
Clothing - Costume
Type
masks (costume)
Topic
Blackface
Caricature and cartoons
Clothing and dress
Costume
Minstrel (Music)
Credit Line
Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift from the Liljenquist Family Collection
Object number
2016.166.33
Restrictions & Rights
No Known Copyright Restrictions
Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
GUID
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/fd5ea9a75b6-5b83-4e70-a267-5c569e64d5ab

Cataloging is an ongoing process and we may update this record as we conduct additional research and review. If you have more information about this object, please contact us at NMAAHCDigiTeam@si.edu

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