vintage wooden hand carved Austrian Krampus mask from the 1920\'s For Sale

A Krampus mask from Austria with real goat horns, circa 1920s or earlier. Krampus is the dark half of the St. Nicholas myth, he who punishes naughty children - stuffing them in baskets or canvas bags and hauling them off to face terrible justice. Krampus is thought to have originated in pre-Christian times. These days, actors portraying this demonic figure march in procession at Christmas time, wearing latex masks formed in his dreadful image. Real Krampus masks are exceedingly rare. The example offered for sale here is hand-carved, and painted (note the scary, white teeth). Many decades old, This is a big, heavy piece....