We have always considered and collected these commercial masks and helmets as industries tribal art. Examples can be elegant in their simplicity or bazaar and complex. They are always unique, suprising and filled with personality.
Early Life Sized Anatomical Display – Jean Antoine Houdon
This striking plaster anatomical models is a half and half in the style of Jean Antoine Houdon. It shows the skeleton on one side and muscular layer on the other. The bust is full sized on a pedestal. Its mostly Gray/white with shadowed areas in the paint to enhance the details. I'm guessing it dates to the late 1800s. 18 in.Hx13 in.Wx9 in.D $2,600
