Q:  I purchased this mask at a yard sale and paid $100. The seller was an antiques dealer and had several in his collection. He said this one was from Guerrero, Mexico, and made in the 1920s. I have several masks from all over the world, but mostly I just collect the ones that catch my eye. Since I love bats, I was attracted to this one right away. It is made of copper, with a worn burlap material on the back. It measures 12″ tall X 14.5″ wide X 5″.   Ron, 988 A:  Your information is correct. It is indeed an early 20th century mask from the Altamirano Region…

Q:  I recently acquired three Mexican (?) masks from an estate sale.  My understanding is that the collector had originally bought them in the 60’s, though I cannot confirm that, nor do I know the age of the masks at the time of purchase.  Brian, 984 A:  Thanks for sending the excellent photos. Two of the masks would be classified as Mexican decoratives, which means they were made for sale to tourists or art collectors. This one is more interesting. It is thinly carved, which is ideal for actual usage, but there are no holes for attachment to the dancer’s head. Some other questions… Why was it so quickly repainted?…

Q:  Aside from the very excellent Mexican masks I have bought from you recently, I have made several other purchases.  Attached are photos of seven of them, all Mexican.  I am keeping the Cora mask and the Guerrero tigres 3 and 4 for my collection. The others will be sold.  Aaron, 980 A:  Cora masks are representative of ancestors and used in a Holy Week ceremony of boys entering adulthood. Called Judios, the dancers paint their bodies and wear papier mache masks that all look much different from each other. At the end of the ceremony the masks are destroyed. That is why we don’t often see these wildly creative masks on…

Q:    I thought this Tigre was really interesting.  It is made of burlap and has real teeth sewn on.  The eyes are mirrors.  I’ve never seen one like that before.  It is from the state of Guerrero.  Aaron, 979 A:  What a cool Jaguar.  (Tigre is the local nick name. ) Or is this striped version supposed to be a real tiger? This unusual item is something any Mexican mask enthusiast would love. Burlap masks are very rare.  If you go to this blog’s “Mexico” category you can see several different Tigres. There are many, many more!  Mexican carvers are the world’s most imaginative in my opinion.  A

Q:  I JUST INHERITED AN IMPORTANT MASK COLLECTION ( ABOUT 120 PIECES ) AND NEED TO SELL IT. UNFORTUNATELY,  WE HAVE NO PROPER SPACE AVAILABLE. WE WOULD LOVE TO SELL THE COLLECTION EITHER TO A MUSEUM OR COLLECTOR. CAN YOU HELP ME WITH THIS?  GABY, 975 A:  I have often purchased mask collections from people like you. For starters, I will have to see more pictures. I’ll discuss this in more detail with a separated email. Let’s look at the single photo you sent of a very nice Mexican decorative. I would say it was carved and painted in the state of Guerrero, late 20th century. “Decorative” is a term used by collectors of Mexican…

Q:  At the Burke Museum of Natural History in Seattle,  I have been working with a collection of masks from Mexico (according to the donor) which were recently donated. I have attached photos of a wooden, hand carved mask which I have not been able to find much information about. Most of the masks from this donor were purchased from Milagros, a Mexican Folk Art store in downtown Seattle, though I am unsure if this particular mask was purchased there.   Molly, 973 A:  I have actually purchased masks from Milagros. It is an excellent source. Your mask has a lot of character and is certainly authentic Mexican. I love it!…

Q:  I purchased the mask yesterday, while walking through the Columbus Flea Market in New Jersey. I paid the couple $35 for the item. They acquired it while cleaning our an estate in Princeton, New Jersey. The mask is approximately 13″ in height, and 10″ in width. As a retired police lieutenant, I have no knowledge with respect to this area of collecting.  Daniel, 973 A:  This may be an old Tigre del Tecuani mask used in the dance of the Tigres (rural name for jaguars) from somewhere in the state of Guerrero.  Since it has a big mouth opening and no eye holes, it would have been worn higher…

Here is a skull mask that has lots of usage plus a great set of teeth made out of tin can pieces. Those teeth would have made for a shiny smile in the old days. The village and state are unknown. Part two of our Mexican collection is now being auctioned on OrangeUmber.com  This time more than 50 traditional masks, both used and new, are available. These masks were acquired 1975 to 2010 and include male and female characters, animals, skulls, devils and fantasies from 20 different Mexican states. The collection has been shown at Messiah College, The Lancaster Museum of Art and can be permanently seen in the largest chapter of Masks…

Wealthy hacienda owners and gringo tourists wearing sunglasses have been portrayed in carnival dances for many years. In the book Masks Arts of Mexico by Lechuga and Sayer a Viejo with sunglasses for the Veracruz carnival is shown on page 22. This particular item is one of 50 Mexican masks being auctioned off on Orange Umber. Most of these beautiful masks have been used in culture or were intended for use. Decorative masks will be auctioned off later. Good news for you:  all of the starting bids have been lowered to encourage sales in this buyers market.

Here’s the link to the mask – Raton Mask   It will tell you about this wonderful old raton mask. Raton means a male mouse, not a rat. That is why the mask is so cute looking. Another important detail is that it is thinly carved and comfortable to wear, which would make the carver very popular with villagers.  963