LUCY CHEUNG

Hello, I’m away in Amsterdam helping Patrick Gildersleeves with his AWESOMO POWERA art show. It is full of massive felt-tip drawings and small and big intricate drawings of amusing things with influences like Aztec/Inca/Mayan type imagery. If you are anywhere near Amsterdam this weekend, come see! It’s the last weekend it’ll be open for.

EEA-ASA
European Exchange Academy Art Space Amsterdam
Rokin 114
1012 LB Amsterdam
Tel. 06-51175871

Friday 25th/Saturday 26th 11-6pm
Sunday 27th 11-5pm

Wikipedia says:

The name “Tlatilco” comes from the Nahuatl language, in which it means “the place of occult (or hidden) things”. The name was given by a group of Nahuatl speakers because when they arrived in the valley, the culture of Tlatilco had already disappeared.

I’m not sure if this is a Dukduk…

Mask from the Gazelle peninsula, New Britain, belonging to a secret society. The head, which is of sacking is painted and decorated with a cluster of feathers, leaves then being added as well. The mask represents a tumbuan of the Dukduk secret society, which in contrast to the male dukduk is thought to be female. Museum für Völkerkunde, Basle.

Four tubuan in ceremonial lineup with their dukduk children, Navunaram Village near Rabual, 1964. Photo courtesy of the Ron and Ella Lucas collection.

Cornish May Day celebration with the ‘Obby ‘Oss! From the BBC: 

 ”The ‘Obby Oss’ looks like a big black caped animal – thought to represent a stallion – with a strange mask and snapping jaws. The Pagan dance and the rhythm of the drum is quite hypnotic.

The ‘Obby Oss’ is led on by a ‘Teaser’ who dances around the ‘Oss’ and prods him with a special padded stick. On its route the ‘Oss sometimes drags women and girls under its dark costume in quite a graphic attempt to portray a fertility rite. It used to be said that “if you were caught beneath the veil that you would be pregnant within the year”.

This is a postcard stolen from this Slovakian blog featuring an Ekeko statue. From the Royal Ontario Museum:

“…an Andean pre-Christian deity known as Ekkeko, the god of abundance, money, and luck. Similar statues are also made and sold in Peru. As is customary, Ekkeko (pronounced ey-kay-koh) is dressed in modern clothes with a real knit cap made of wool; he has outstretched arms, an open mouth, and a painted moustache. According to ancient legends, if you put a miniature of something you want on Ekkeko by noon on January 24, he will help you to get your wish in the year to come. You never remove the miniatures, so over the years Ekkeko becomes laden with your hopes and dreams. As you may have noticed, Ekkeko’s mouth is open; this is so that he may receive his offering, which is a lit cigarette. The cigarette is put into his mouth after the miniature objects are tied to him. As he smokes the offering, the length of the ash that forms without breaking off is a seen as a sign of how much good fortune Ekkeko will grant the asker during the coming year.”

From this site:

(CHINA OUT) Tu ethnic minority group men perform the ‘Wutu’ Dance around residents’ houses during an annual exorcism ceremony at Nianduhu Village on January 8, 2007 in Tongren County of Qinghai Province, northwest China. The village holds a ceremony to drive out evil spirits every year, in which they will choose seven strong men to perform the ancient dance ‘Wutu’, which means tiger in ancient time. The men will apply ashes and draw lines on their bodies, villagers then put Chinese bread and meat on the sticks of the Wutus. The more food Wutus took, the more luck they were considered to bring, as the villagers think Wutus take away bad luck and evil. In the end of the ceremony, Wutus will wash themselves in the river symbolizing getting rid of the evil. (Photo by China Photos/Getty Images)

I actually have an anonymous relative who went to China to get exorcised because his parents thought he had been voodooed by someone and had become possessed. Click the read more to see the our chat transcript about what it was like. You might know of the chinese yellow papers and the chicken referred to in the chat from the awesome film, Mr. Vampire?

Read more »

“This mask from Sri Lanka is used in ceremonies to remove various types of afflictions, the mask and its activites helping the afflicted visualise their malaise.”

“The buck teeth and leering smile of this mask suggest a character associated with low spirits and demons. In a drama he usually represents a demon or aggresive lord. The moustache, hair and brows are made from goat’s hair and hide; the teeth are shell. Balinese. Private collection. 20th century. “