{"product_id":"framed-vietnamese-dao-shaman-mask-rice-paper-painting-5d266b05-b913-40e2-bf9b-b1634c15bf51","title":"Framed Sino-Vietnamese Dao Folk Religious Portrait of a “King of Shu”","description":"\u003cp\u003eThis vintage framed rice-paper painting depicts a shaman mask associated with the Dao (Yao) people of Vietnam. The Dao are a highland ethnic minority found largely in Vietnam's northern provinces, where Taoist-influenced shamanic traditions remain part of communal ritual life. Masks of this kind, whether carved or painted, represent guardian spirits and deities invoked by shamans during ceremonies. This example is a painted rendering on thin rice paper rather than a three-dimensional mask, mounted and set behind glass in a wood frame.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"auto\" data-start=\"1454\" data-end=\"1727\" class=\"PDq2pG_selectionAnchorContainer\"\u003eAn unusual Chinese folk painting depicting a male ruler or deified historical figure in formal court dress. The figure is shown frontally, wearing an elaborate ceremonial headdress decorated with red and dark circular ornaments, a red robe, and a short moustache and beard.\u003cspan class=\"PDq2pG_selectionAnchor\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"auto\" data-start=\"1729\" data-end=\"2181\"\u003eA vertical inscription at the right begins \u003cstrong data-start=\"1772\" data-end=\"1789\"\u003e蜀王 (Shǔ Wáng)\u003c\/strong\u003e, meaning \u003cstrong data-start=\"1799\" data-end=\"1836\"\u003e“King of Shu” or “Prince of Shu.”\u003c\/strong\u003e The remaining characters appear to give a further name or honorific title but have not yet been securely deciphered. The term Shu refers historically to the region of present-day Sichuan in southwestern China, where a number of ancient rulers later became subjects of legend and local religious veneration.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis framed painting measures 15 3\/4 x 14 3\/4\" (40 x 37 cm). The area of the mask itself is 9 x 7 3\/4\" (23 x 20 cm)\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Niger Bend","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":67591040008499,"sku":"DSMF-100","price":449.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0008\/1933\/1132\/files\/ba17919c-7232-4ec0-9722-69d46041c9b9.jpg?v=1790688003","url":"https:\/\/thenigerbend.com\/products\/framed-vietnamese-dao-shaman-mask-rice-paper-painting-5d266b05-b913-40e2-bf9b-b1634c15bf51","provider":"Niger Bend","version":"1.0","type":"link"}