Theyyam Head Design 3 – Hand-painted Kerala Ritual Art

A silver crescent moon, set with a small gem at its centre, sits at the middle of this face's black brow band, framed by gold dot-swirl patterns that spread outward across the forehead. Below it, pink-toned eyes look out from a black mask, and a pale blue-grey ekir, the long curved ornament worn over the mouth in Theyyam to suggest fierce, bared teeth, replaces the mouth entirely. Dark maroon chevron patterning runs down the neck, echoed in the bold black-and-white chevron base beneath.

The crescent moon is a recurring motif within Theyyam iconography, often appearing on figures with associations to serpent worship and lunar symbolism, part of the wide visual vocabulary performers draw on to signal a specific deity's identity. This head is hand-carved from solid wood, with the crescent, dot-swirl brow work, and ekir all hand-painted by our studio artisans in fine, deliberate brushwork, then finished with the graphic chevron base for contrast.

Its vivid orange-red palette and bold black-and-white base make this piece a genuine statement on a bookshelf, study desk, or console. It suits anyone drawn to Theyyam's more graphic, symbol-rich iconography rather than a purely ornamental design.

Material: Solid Wood, hand-carved and hand-painted.

Dimension: Head: 8 inches x 4 inches x 4 inches.
                    Full dimension with base: 12 inches x 5 inches x 5 inches.