Final preparations for an exhibition

This also applies to the two masks presented in the exhibition The Gesture Speaks: the Mary Wigman dance mask (pre 1926) by Victor Magito (1897-1926) and the Chinese mask (1929) by Roman Clemens (1910-1992). The second is a rarity; it is the only original Bauhaus stage mask in Germany and a novelty in our collection. Considering that it is made of coloured paper-mâché, its survival of almost 100 years is particularly remarkable.

Behind the apparent similarity of the two masks – both brightly coloured with red mouths – lie cultural and historical subtleties. While the wooden Mary Wigman dance mask (on loan from the Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden) bears the facial features of this influential German dancer, the Chinese mask is a depiction of a stereotype. This is fuelled by images of traditional Japanese or Chinese masks and the established colonial legacy, which reinforced the belief in the “immutability” of Asian cultures.