Aaron: TITLE: Tastoan TYPE: mask GENERAL REGION: Latin America COUNTRY: Mexico SUBREGION: Jalisco ETHNICITY: Nahua DESCRIPTION: Tastoan MAKER: Ubaldo Macías Bernabe, Tonalá (1972- ) CEREMONY: Fiesta de Santiago el Apostól AGE: 2016 MAIN MATERIAL: leather OTHER MATERIALS: cow teeth; animal bone; acrylic paint; lacquer; glue paste; wire; thread; elastic bands In parts of Jalisco and Zacatecas, the holiday in honor of Santiago el Apostól (St. James the Apostle) is held every 25th of July. Celebrants carry spears and dress in long pants, leather chaps, and boots, with demonic masks made of wood (Zacatecas) or molded leather (Jalisco) covered with a montera (headdress) of hair or plant fiber. The festival commemorates a battle between the indigenous warriors of…
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Average Fang mask
Q: I purchased this mask from a woman whose antique store recently went out of business. She had about 10 different masks to choose from and said she had a buyer who collected them from Africa for her. I asked if she knew any details on the mask’s origin, but she didn’t. Though the price is listed as $75, she only asked for $40. Where might this mask have originated from? Looking forward to hearing from you. Amy, 1197 A: You got an important addition to your low-cost African mask collection. This is called a Ngil and could have been used to embody spirits of the deceased by the Fang…
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The famous Guy Fawkes mask
The Guy Fawkes mask is a stylised depiction of Guy Fawkes, the best-known member of the Gunpowder Plot. The plot was an attempt to blow up the House of Lords in London on 5 November 1605, in order to restore a Catholic head of state. The use of a mask on an effigy has long roots as part of Guy Fawkes Night celebrations. A stylised portrayal of a face with an oversized smile and red cheeks, a wide moustache upturned at both ends, and a thin vertical pointed beard, designed by illustrator David Lloyd, came to represent broader protest after it was used as a major plot element in V…
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Rey del Moros from Veracruz
Q: I posted a few others from my trip to Veracruz earlier in the summer. Aaron, 1195 A: Aaron sent some more excellent masks. Here is what he says about this one. TITLE: Rey de Moros TYPE: mask GENERAL REGION: Latin America COUNTRY: Mexico SUBREGION: Veracruz ETHNICITY: Nahua DESCRIPTION: Rey de Moros (King of the Moors) MAKER: Antonio Vázquez Tepo, Xico (1933- ) CEREMONY: Danza de los Moros y Cristianos AGE: 2016 MAIN MATERIAL: wood OTHER MATERIALS: oil-based paint The Danza de los Moros y Cristianos (Dance of the Moors and Christians), also known as the Danza de la Conquista, is an important celebration in the Mexican state of Veracruz. The dance reenacts the reconquest Spain…
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Old but still colorful Indian mask
Q: I bought this mask in San Francisco, California in the late 1990s for somewhere around $100 or so..I don’t remember exactly. It seemed old at the time, and I remember the merchant saying something about it being some kind of “ceremonial” mask but I forgot all that he said. Size is about person-size. Material seems to be some kind of plant material that was pressed or glued together, but I don’t know exactly. It isn’t solid wood but definitely a natural plant-based material of some sort. Bruce, 1194 A: “India is the world’s largest democracy and the second most populous nation in the world. It is a land that…
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Petruk from East Java
Q: Missed the boat on buying this one about a year ago. The craftsmanship utilizes high detail in many areas, and its clearly been danced. Nate, 1193 A: This character, known as Petruk, is easy to recognize by his long nose. Sorry you didn’t get it. The carving is fabulous. As you know, masks of Java and Bali and other parts of Indonesia are inspired by Indian influences which were originally used to propagate religious principles and dramas from the Hindu epics such as the Ramayana or Mahabarata. These masks depict archetypal characters like demons, deities, heroes, gods and villains. Masks of the World has a separate chapter for Bali & Java. …
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Old, used mask from Nepal
Q: I took photos of these (quickly because it wasn’t allowed!) masks in a tiny museum in Bhaktapur, Nepal. Amy, 1192 A: The character is Indrayani, one of eight dancers in a performance of Bhairabs, the oldest and most famous drama in the Kathmandu Valley. Bhaktapur is where it started. In the nearby big city of Kathmandu you can buy lots of papier mache masks, but they won’t look anything like this one. I would guess it was made about 75 years ago. Please enlarge this hi-res scan so you can see the details. I don’t think this high quality work is done anymore. Amy– thanks for taking the risk!…
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Pre-Columbian burial mask
Q: Here is a burial masks made of pure gold from the Oro Museo in Bogota, Colombia. Amy, 1191 A: In the spirit of full disclosure, Amy is one of my beautiful daughter-in-laws. I’m sure she enjoyed her visit to the museum. Burial masks could be found outside of Columbia in some other Central and South American countries before 1492. They are not unusual, and were often made of materials other than precious metals. The museum is one of the most visited tourist highlights in the country. It receives around 500,000 tourists per year. It displays a selection of pre-Columbian gold and other metal alloys. Together with pottery, stone, shell,…
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Deformity masks in other cultures
Q: As you know, collectors occasionally run into deformity and disease masks. I’d like to hear more about them. I’d especially be indebted if you started a blog thread on the topic. Nate, 1190 A: This first one is from the Ibibio people of Nigeria. It measures 7 3/4″ high. The small face with high raised forehead above tiny eyes, carved with no nose or upper lip and with teeth showing in the open face depicts either syphilitic yaws or a severe cleft palate. It comes from the Cobbs Auctioneers. The second one is a Mbangu from the Pende of the DRC. 12″ high. It represents a hunter who has…
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La Puta mask from Naolinco, Veracruz
In case some of you don’t know Spanish, La Puta means whore. These characters often show up in Mexican dances and parades. More from Aaron on his buying trip to Veracruz, Mexico: “Another guy, who wasn’t a mask maker but sold sweets in front of his house, had a truly amazing collection. As we passed by, I admired his collection, and he invited me into his tiny 2-room home. Classic Mexican hospitality. This guy had nothing, probably made $2000/year. I asked him if he was willing to sell any of them, and he said they belonged to his children and grandchildren, so no dice. I could have made him quite…
