The masks of Sri Lanka are a part of the country's rich and ancient folk traditions which have survived into modern times. They represent one of the most extensive and well-documented masking traditions of Asia. The intricately carved and brightly painted wooden masks are worn in rural dance-dramas and in rituals and ceremonies connected with folk gods and demons. Reflecting the genius of generations of master carvers and village craftsmen, the masks have given vivid and dramatic expression to the imagination and vision, the hopes and fears of the people of rural Sri Lanka.