Face mask

1959

Face masks were a form of veiling that was mainly prevalent in the countries on both sides of the Persian Gulf: Oman, the United Arab Emirates and Iran (Vogelsang-Eastwood 1996: 60).This veil was collected in Bandar Abbas in the mid-20th century. Almost all Sunni women there wore this type of veil then, on the street and in other public contexts. Shiite women did not wear them. Indoors, women took them off, as long as the men present were known. The veils were not for sale in shops or on the market. Presumably they were made by the women themselves. \This almost oval shaped mask covering the nose, part of the forehead and eyebrows has two elongated openings to look through. It is made of and dark gold colored fabric that is trimmed with purple stitches that are hand applied. In the middle, the fabric is folded and fastened around an upright wooden plate one centimetre wide, almost across the width of the mask. This part protrudes from the face. On both sides, a narrow stick gives the mask its strength over the entire width. The sticks are also hidden from view by folded fabric. On the back of the mask, a double braided cord is attached to both sides of the top. It serves to fasten the mask around the head. The cord on the left is longer than the cord on the right. The left cord is decorated with five flosses and small gold-coloured plastic beads. The back of the mask is uncovered. The fabric there is matte indigo blue.