Photo Essay
by Tim Thayer
Metal Horsemen made by the Dogon People (Mali); and Hasa (Niger)
I
Hornbill Bird from the Sepik of Papua New Guinea
’m pleased to have the opportunity
to present a small portion of my
collection to the Cenizo readers. I
began this assemblage twenty-odd
years ago with an impetuous purchase
from a small import shop in Oregon.
The second was procured from a Côte
D’Ivoire expatriate in Paris; a few
more were subsequently given to me as
18
Cenizo
Naga Warrior’s Hat—infamous head hunters,
the Naga reside in Northeast India and
adjacent Burma
gifts, and suddenly I had the start of a
“collection,” and a passion that I have
been unwilling, or unable, to give rein
to. I had discovered something very
intriguing in the manner in which var-
ious peoples from the Earth’s far-flung
corners chose to redefine the human
face and form almost into an abstrac-
tion.
Second Quarter 2014
Dan Bird Mask, the docent, Igbo Mask—note the monkey
(at right, not in the middle)
As one who has worked wood in
multiflorous ways throughout my life, I
was taken aback with the skill manifest
in the creation of these pieces. I would
say that part of the mystery, for me, is
that world-wide, from the Inuit of the
Arctic to South American native peo-
ples, to China, to Africa, to Southeast
Asia, masks are universal fixtures of rit-
ual and custom.
This collection of mine has now
grown to approximately 200 pieces,
and it is on my agenda to build an
extension on my Marathon residence
in which to house them, and to have
this open to the public for their enjoy-
ment. I hope you enjoy the examples
presented here.