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merimask — Meerkat Mask
Published: 2011-03-04 13:39:43 +0000 UTC; Views: 6545; Favourites: 76; Downloads: 655
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Description
I'm not sure of the plural for meerkat. Is it meerkat-meerkats, like cat-cats? Or is it just meerkat, like sheep or deer. Maybe it's like goose-geese...so, meerkeet! Now I'm just being silly.
Anyway...the meerkat! They have these funny little faces; wide flat heads but sharp pointy muzzles. Yet, in almost every picture I've seen they stare haughtily down their noses, so their longish snouts are hard to discern. I had to find some pictures from the side to get a good idea of the dimensions of a meerkat head. Hard to do, 'cause they're such busy, alert little things that they are ALWAYS staring at the camera, it seems.
So really, the correct way to wear this mask is to stand up on your toes, lift your chin and stare haughtily down your nose at everyone. Funny little critters.
As ever, this is hand carved and hand shaped from one piece of 8oz leather, and painted with Liquitex acrylics.
This was a commission, but of course since it's a brand new design I had to make two, so "Meerkat #2" is in my Etsy shop today. [link]
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Comments: 31
Ha, this is so cute! Meerkats are such silly little critters, gotta love them. This one's a great representation, I'm afraid the wearer will have to be somewhat skittish though.
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N'awwww! Meerkats(?) are adorable, and I agree. I don't think I ever have seen a picture of a meerkat that wasn't staring at the camera.
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They sure are busy little fellows. 
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I've seen them at the zoo and they do stare at the camera! Any camera, as soon as it's held up, they stare at it. Everybody wandered off and it was just me and my mom, no camera, the meerkat wandered off too 
Some seriously awesome fur work on that mask!
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They are really smart, curious critters, so I guess they just like to pay attention to whatever is paying attention to them.
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I like the word meerkeet. I'm gonna pretend that's a real word, and use it from now and on.
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How funny and unique! I never would've thought to see a meerkat mask. I love your description of their haughty stare. XD
I have to know what's the weirdest animal you thought you'd never create? Because this would've been pretty weird for me!
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I think the weirdest animal was a platypus. It looks like a furry-headed duck, basically. I did it years ago, before I had a digital camera so, no pics unfortunately.
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HA a platypus?? Nature's inside joke? Now that's something I'd love to see!
Ya never know where you'll go in the mask business till it happens, it seems! ^_^
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Meerkats
I love the bold markings and the fur detail. Is it just me or are you slowly but surely creating a mask for every single animal?
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lol...I do seem to specialize in odd animals.
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And diversity is definitely a good
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...OH. DEAR. GOD. Thanks so much for making this, I can't even... just.... FFFFFFF THIS IS AMAZING.
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Yay! 
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I love how all the comments are saying how strange an animal this was to make into a mask... Also I'm pretty sure the plural of Meerkat is Meerkats, and the babies are called pups. I was a lot of Meerkat Manor, ok, I have no life. XD
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It's adorbale and very expressive!
Their crome heads make the perfect little translation for a human face... little bald cute people. XD
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They are so cute & funny-looking. I never want to watch "Meerkat Manor" but it always sucks me in because of the cute.
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That's no mere cat! That's a meerkat!
But do they purr?
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Hahaha - I bet the small ones are called meerkittens!
You really captured the shape of their little faces in this mask. I'm not sure about the colours, though - I'm sure you've done your research properly and all that, but AFAIK (and judging from all photographs/video I've seen), the meerkats tend to be a bit more yellow-grey - this one tends more towards a reddish-brown tone. Of course, this could be due to the lighting in the photo, or perhaps I've been looking at the wrong variation of meerkat (there has to be regional variation in colouring, right?).
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Aha, jag visste inte att det var surikater! Jag trodde det var ett annat djur!
Translation: Aha, I didn't know it was "surikat"s! I thought it was a different animal.
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Meerkittens! Too cute.
I'm not sure, I found a lot of pictures where they looked sandy, brownish-gray...pretty much dirt colored. Their backs are darker/more colorful but their faces & bellies are mostly pale and sooty. I agree I think it might be a bit too brown...not enough gray tones in the dark coloring around the ears and eyes.
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Ah well - it's still a good-looking mask as it is.
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