Masker met een snor waarvan de punten uitlopen in een koord met een kwast c. 1600 - 1650

This print, made by Frans Huys, presents a masked face adorned with stylized leaves. The mask, a hybrid of human and beast, immediately recalls the Green Man, a motif found in various cultures across the ages. The Green Man symbolizes the spirit of nature and the cycle of rebirth. We see echoes of this symbol in the Roman god Silvanus, protector of the woods, and even further back in ancient pagan traditions celebrating the vitality of the natural world. Notice how the leaves sprout from the mask’s face, blurring the line between the animate and inanimate. This fusion speaks to a deep-seated human desire to connect with nature, to see ourselves as part of a larger, interconnected web of life. The image touches something primal within us, a collective memory of our ancient relationship with the natural world. Such symbols are not static; they evolve, adapt, and resurface in different forms, carrying with them layers of meaning accumulated over centuries.