Q: I’m trying to determine the age of this (Mexican?) mask. The external patina does not look incredibly old but the inside looks like it has had heavy use. It is very large at 34″ long and entirely carved out of a light and soft wood. The eyes are glass. To me this looks similar to glass eye masks said to be from the 1940s but I have not been able to find a similar figure from that period. Any help or suggestions would be appreciated!
I have a few antique masks on display but not enough to call it a collection. I am interested in masks that are unusual and catch my eye. Dustin, 1010
A: Our blog’s “Mexico” archive has many examples of decorative masks. They are often different from authentic masks used for village celebrations, and they also vary a lot among themselves. This is often an excuse for carvers to express greater creativity. I’ve never seen this particular helmet mask. What an impressive piece of folk art! It’s age will be hard to determine because, like most decoratives, it has been antiqued to make it look old. B+
Please go back in the archives for more Mexican decoratives, especially #621 which was posted in April, 2014.
