This is the special gate guardian wooden mask.  People place the mask above their doors to protect their homes from the evil spirits. The fierce looking guardian can scare away the spirits and the big mouth can blow away the bad wind, thus protecting the family behind the door.  In ancient times, a Shaman will perform a ritual before hanging it on your door to get the mask work best.

This mask features one of the dragon’s sons. In China the dragon is a well-respected god. The dragon has nine sons with appearances and different abilities. The mask also has Chinese writing “Shi Gan Dang from Mountain Tai” on the tongue. Shi Gan Dang is a mystical hero from Moutain Tai who can kill devils and monsters.