Over 9,000 years ago, a few humans decided to leave the hunter gatherer lifestyle behind, opening the door for culture and society as we know it. Part of that culture included religion, and part of that religion included masks.
Check out a few of the world's oldest masks right here, along with other cool and freaky masks from throughout history, and the present day.
1
Turkish Officer in a gas mask during the air practice. WW2, Istanbul, Turkey, 1939.
2
JFK with daughter Caroline wearing a JFK mask, 1962.
3
Taken in 1910, a person from the Native American Koskimo tribe stands in a full-body fur garment with oversized gloves and a Hami mask during a traditional ceremony.
4
The Twilight Zone, “The Masks” 1964.
5
Splatter mask worn by British tank gunners during WWI, 1918. A British tank crew splatter mask was designed to help protect the crew member's face from shrapnel when looking through the view ports.
6
Disney produced Mickey Mouse gas masks for children during World War II.
7
An Arab woman wearing a traditional face mask in Muscat, Oman, 1905.
8
Anthony Hopkins tries out a mask for The Silence of the Lambs, 1991.
9
Designed by 1940s Hollywood makeup artist Max Factor Jr., this bizarre ice mask aimed to reduce facial puffiness.
10
9,000-year-old Neolithic spirit masks, the world’s oldest masks.
11
“The Isolator” mask, designed to help you focus. 1925.
12
Wildlife center puts on a fox mask to care for an orphaned kit.
13
William Shakespeare's death mask, 1880.
14
Police officer wearing a face mask during the London smog in 1952.
15
A Tsam Mask dance in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, 1925.
16
Belgian Iron “scolds bridle” mask used to publicly humiliate and punish “loud” women in the 1500s.
17
The mask alleged to have been worn by offender Edward Paisnel, aka "The Beast Of Jersey," when he committed a number of crimes on Jersey, 25th November 1971.
18
Anna Coleman Ladd built masks made for men with disfigured faces from World War I wounds.
19
A Navajo man wearing a Ceremonial mask and Dress of Nayenezgani, 1904.
20
Radiation masks, designed to protect children with cancer who are undergoing chemotherapy.
21
“Italian soldiers wearing gas masks. Shot by my great grandfather in Italy, 1916.”
22
Faceless student replica masks from Pink Floyd’s “The Wall.”
23
1916 champagne inspector, and her mask.
24
The “Mudmen” of the Asaro tribe in Papua New Guinea.
26
Mask from the Chinese Qing dynasty.
