Guatemalan tigre mask

G: My father recently passed away and we are working through the various items at his estate. He was a big collector. He has 12 masks that I would like help appraising so that we can determine our next steps. I haven’t found any paperwork on this mask. Our dad kept records and usually did research on most items in his collection of over 800 items. Jodie, 1687

A: The jaguar is usually called El Tigre in Mesoamerica (Southern Mexico to Northern Panama). These yellow-with-black-dots (sometimes stripes) masks help represent El Tigre as a character in several different dances featuring animals. This is an excellent example of one area’s style. Other tigres can differ greatly in style. Jodies’ mask appears to be very well antiqued. I can’t be sure of its authenticity, but I suspect that it sold for a lot of money. B