This round, metallic face mold is called Padma and represents an individual belonging to the Kanet tribe in Lahoul in the very interior and mountainous region of the Himalayas in a northwestern Indian state called Himachal Pradesh. The casting is artistically affixed onto an oval wooden frame, artifice in conjugal with nature's materials. The Padma name and the location of Lahaul are engraved on the upper edge of the mould, thus giving personal and geographical identity to the object. The Kanet tribe is otherwise known as belonging to the main agricultural and traditional landholding communities among the major tribal groups in the high-altitude regions of Himachal Pradesh. Though not included in the modern administrative Scheduled Tribes list, they are a community recognized for ethnographic work for their varied customs, dressing habits, and structure of community life based on lineage.
Face-moulds like this are also rare and precious items of cultural heritage, thus serving some commemorative or ritual purposes either in ancestor worship or in memory of a prominent person in the community. The intricate detail on the mold denotes that Padma has been revered for her memory and thus cast into this form of tradition. The use of metal and wood indicates quite resourceful craftsmanship with Himalayan artisans, as often they are synonymous with form and function to an object of culture. Now kept at the Indian Museum, Kolkata, the artifact does not just commemorate a person but also speaks of the identity, memory, and heritage of the Kanet people.