Q: I found this mask at an estate sale in my neighborhood and was told it was Balinese but I am now wondering if it could be Mexican as I know there are traditions of Mexican ceremonies in which participants wear masks caved like old men. The mask has attached hair which feels like horse or ox hair. I would appreciate any additional knowledge you may have. Jack, 695 A: Jack, you’re on the right track.
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Show stopper from Guerrero
Q: Just got this mask and have searched 1000’s of pages on the net and cant even find where it may be from please help! Anne, 689 A: Tourist masks (also called decoratives) have been made in Guerrero, Mexico, for more than a 100 years. They’re always antiqued to look old and used. By the 1960’s their designs were getting more elaborate and experimental. I have never seen one like yours and may not ever again. They still appeal to certain types of art collectors. Perhaps you would like to go this route, but be careful not to pay too much money for them. They don’t hold their value well.
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High-end Mexican mask
Q: I have a lot of very good Mexican Dance masks that I bought from a collector in Mexico City when I lived there a few years ago but I don’t have one of these http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=301332462024. Could it possibly be worth this kind of money? Christophe, 687 A: This is indeed a very desirable mask. It is called a Parachico and is made in Chiapa de Corzo, Chiapas, Mexico.
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A different kind of devil
Q: Nathan D. suggested that I contact you regarding the pair of masks that I bought from a well known financier’s estate. He purchased them from a gallery in NYC in the late 70’s. I was told by his son that they are “Mexican Death Masks”, but everyone that I have shown them to, has no idea what they are and has never seen anything like them. I am an African art collector but was so fascinated by them that I had to have them. They are constructed of hand painted thick, leather, genuine goat horns and goat hair, I believe. The insides of the masks are woven. The black…
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Cheap Mexican decorative
Q: Can you tell me something about this triple head (man and some type of animals) mask. Made of wood. I don’t know anything about it but need to sell it and want to say the truth about the mask. Thanks, Tina, 682 A: About 40 years ago I bought my first mask. It was an inexpensive but very colorful piece that was made by the same group of carvers in Guerrero, Mexico, that made yours.
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Good reading
MexicanDanceMasks.com will take you to a new blog by Bryan Stevens, a well-respected collector and author. Bryan collects masks from all over Mexico, but his wonderful book, Mexican Masks and Puppets, concentrates on folk art from the Sierra de Puebla mountains that run through the states of Puebla and Vera Cruz in Eastern Mexico. I think some of you will really enjoy this new blog because it is so different from the one you are reading now. MasksoftheWorld.com is about all of the cultures of the world and Bryan’s new blog focuses on just Mexico. Therefore, Mexicandancemasks.com digs much deeper into the art and culture of a people. If…
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Where did the snakes come from?
Q: I just found this mask at an estate sale. I have no information about it and cannot find anything similar online. I’m speculating that it is old and authentic. Any information would be immensely helpful in appraising it. Lori, 661 A: It is common for people to speculate that a carved wood mask may have considerable monetary value.
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Mexican decoratives can fool you
Q: A friend of mine purchased this mask for me at a flea market. I believe it’s a Balinese mask but I have no idea what kind or what it represents or would be used for. I would like to find out this information if possible. Can you help? Jack, 650 A: You have a double-faced Mexican tourist mask probably made in Guerrero.
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The dreaded Jaguar
Q: (From a small museum) We have this wooden mask with no information on it, and no real leads on where to look. The mask is an orange face with black spots all over it, with it’s brow and mouth region protruding out. It’s about 8″ tall and has what appears to be some form of leather with a few traces of animal hair nailed in with tiny nails above its’ eyes and mouth almost like eyebrows and a mustache. Inside the mouth on the upper part are four holes that look like they used to hold some kind of makeshift teeth in them. Dani, 643 A: Maybe it’s a…
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Beware of barking dog
Q: Good day, Bob. Thank you for the given opportunity to find out more about masks. There is a mask carved from the wood 10.5″ high, 9.5″ diameter of the top, and 6.5″ is a diameter of the teeth part. Igor, 642 A: I’m going to guess this is a wolf or dog mask from Mexico.
