 Q: Here I’ve attached pictures of my mask. It’s pretty small, so I don’t think it’s meant to be worn except maybe by a toddler. It’s about 8″ in diameter, maybe less. I got it for free on my local buy nothing group (Facebook) here in Seattle so I didn’t pay anything for it. Any info you could tell me about it would be wonderful. Thanks, Tracy, 1161
A: Mexican decoratives are not really masks, nor are they meant to be authentic artifacts. They’re wall-hangings made for tourists. I find them colorful, inventive, and almost as interesting as real dance masks. Mexican mask makers are very creative and frequently come up with something different. Your mask is made out of half a coconut shell and some kind of tree pods. I’ll bet I’ve seen 100 variations of Mexican coconut masks. If you include wood, papier mache and other materials, the variation in decoratives goes into the 1000’s. As a collector of Mexican masks, I think decoratives should be included along side the traditional dance masks. B |
Yoruba Gelede Mask
Black-faced monk from Korea
