Malaysian masks

Malaysia sounds fascinating, a hugely varied, layered mix of cultures - the indigenous tribes, Malays from mainland Asia. plus Chinese, Indian, Persian, Arabic, and British - what a mix!

Whilst Islamic taboos restricted artwork depicting humans until the mid-20th century, it looks like they've been busy since then. I'm not sure where exactly these come from, but they may be from indigenous East Malaysians, renowned for their wooden masks.

The rich cultural mix is also tasted in the cuisine, if my delicious meal at Champor Champor ('mix and match') this evening is anything to go by - succulent taro root with radish, creamy banana curry, dark rich mushrooms...

The desserts were particularly inventive - chocolate and chilli rarely has such a delicate balance, and the lingering hint of lemongrass from the tom yam crème brûlée was still with us in the morning (in a good way!).

And as for these colourful, slightly sinister masks, I don't think I'll forget these in a hurry either!