Gini means fire, and the Ginidal Raksha wears it as a crown. Long, wavering flames in red and yellow shoot up from the brow and spread out on both sides of the face, each one outlined in black with a fine white stripe down its length, so the mask reads as a blaze from across a room.
The face. Beneath the flames is a red demon face with round black eyes set in rings of white, green and yellow, and a broad open mouth showing pink gums, white teeth and two curved fangs. A red tongue edged in yellow hangs over the lower lip. Beside the eyes, two oval ear pieces are dotted in red and bordered with a fringe of white petals.
Materials. It is carved by hand from light kaduru wood and painted in acrylics. The flame panels at the sides are cut as separate pieces and fixed to the hollow central face, and the back is left as bare wood.
In Sri Lankan tradition. Among the Raksha demon masks of the southern coast, the fire demon is the one associated with anger, which is why it is painted almost entirely in flame colours. Masks like this appear in processions and folk dance, and many households hang one as a guardian, trusting the demon's fury to face outward. Read more about Raksha masks and Sri Lanka's Kolam masked theatre.
Sizes. Heights run from 15 cm (6 in) for a shelf to 60 cm (24 in) for a feature wall. Each piece is carved and painted individually, so the colours and flames vary a little from the photographs. For a black-faced version with finer line painting, see the Ginidal Raksha Mask (Premium).
