Q: In June I will be donating my Mataco & other art from Argentina, which includes the two fine masks from that region that I got from you. It might be best for folks if you posted the photo of this mask because it seems that these plain wood masks are what they are making these days in Paraguay. As I mentioned in my e-mail of today, the Chaco area is the region from which I’ll next be donating my art, which is currently on display in our dining room. I picked for you this mask because it’s pretty rare and interesting. Dean, 1138 A: When the Europeans settled in…
-
-
Old, used Mexican mask
Q: I picked this mask up in a little shop in Juarez Mexico City. The seller said that it was authentic. On each cheek there is half of a yin yang. Not what I typically think of for Central America. The eye hole placements look right for a Mexican mask though, there seems to be signs of wear, there’s a nose hole, and it’s been visibly repaired. To me, all signs of authenticity. I asked the seller to write down anything she knew. She wrote “Mascava del año 1940” and “Estado de Veracruz”. The mystery gets better due to the fact that the original owners name was written on the…
-
There’s an Easter surprise in the Philippines.
Just south of Luzon on the island of Maranduque there are Roman Catholics who celebrate the death and resurrection with realistic masks and costumes. Called the Morones Festival, it’s quite a pageant and not something you would expect to see in the South Pacific or anywhere else in Asia. It celebrates the Holy Week Festivities to the fullest with parades, processions and other activities. As in the Spanish Colonial traditions, many of the participants are costumed as Jewish followers of Jesus and the ruling Romans. Morones means army helmet in Spanish. The Morones Festival was started in 1807 by a Jesuit priest from Mexico. This Mexican folk play re-enacts the…
-
All of Mexico goes nuts at Carnaval Time
It’s an official holiday that begins a five-day celebration before the Catholic lent begins on Ash Wednesday. We’re talking about food, drink, parades, costumes, music and dancing in the streets. This particular mask represents a pretty woman called a Mujer and she is from the state of Tlaxcala. The carved-wood mask has glass eyes with lids that move, real jewelry and a gold tooth. She would be portrayed by a boy who could make the Mujer wink at the Paraueros and Charros with whom the young boy/woman is dancing. It’s very similar to the Catrine masks that also come from Tlaxcala. And there are hundreds of different looking masks being…
-
Mardi Gras goes back to 1699.
A French-Canadian explorer first brought the carnival customs, then Creole society began masking and dancing at private balls while revelers in disguise roamed the streets of New Orleans. Mardi Gras is also celebrated in many of the Cajun communities scattered throughout much of Louisiana, USA. These bizarre masks made out of window screen and other cheap materials are used by the locals even in the small villages close to the swamps. The masks and costumes are pure American folk art. Wild and crazy antics, much different than what happens at the parade in New Orleans, are practiced on this famous holiday by the rural Cajuns. Mardi Gras has some other…
-
Carnival time in Venice is the ultimate.
Italy’s biggest carnival inspires some of the most lavish costumes and masks. These simple white masks are not supposed to distract from the lavish costumes. It’s said that the Carnival of Venice was started from a victory of a small war in the year 1162. After that it went in and out of popularity. After a long absence, the Carnival returned in 1979. The Italian government decided to bring back the history and culture of Venice, and sought to use the traditional Carnival as the centerpiece of its efforts. The re-development of the masks began as the pursuit of some Venetian college students for the tourist trade. Since then, approximately…
-
Busos scare away Winter in Hungary.
Thought you hated the cold weather? The terrifying Hungarian festival where revelers don grotesque masks to scare off winter is a sight to behold. Mohacs Busok (Mask-people from Mohacs town) The Busojaras (Hungarian, meaning “Buso-walking”) is an annual celebration of the Croatians living in the town of Mohacs, Hungary, held at the end of the Carnival season and ending the day before Ash Wednesday. The Busó festivities are a six-day carnival in late February that involves a lot of activities, including a children’s costume contest, a display of the art of mask carvers and other craftspeople, the arrival of more than 500 busós in rowboats on the Danube for a…
-
The Vejigantes steal the show in Ponce, PR.
With the exception of a few other Caribbean islands, this spectacular type of Devil mask is unique in the world of mask design. Even though these masks have a long snout and lots of big horns, they are made of paper mache which is light weight and comfortable to wear. Vejigantes characters carry blown-up cow bladders with which they make sounds and hit people throughout the processions. The crazy antics of these guys make them the most popular feature at the parades and other events. The Carnaval de Ponce is an annual celebration that lasts one week and ends on the day before Ash Wednesday. Thus, it is generally held…
-
Pre-Columbian stone and clay
Q: You looked into a mask for me last year. (#879, 02.01.2016, in the Mexico archive) It was a small terra-cotta face that might be part of something bigger. Will this be something you could do an appraisal on? If so please let me know how to do it. If not can you recommend someone to do it. Thank you, Brandon, 1130 (The mask he refers to is described below with the photo.) A: From the Pre-Columbian era of Latin America, this little head is not a mask, but served some other purpose. There were also full-size masks made of clay or stone from the same cultures that could…
-
Beautiful Kwele antelope mask
Q: I recently purchased this donkey mask on eBay. It weights 3 pounds and is 17 inches long. The seller and I knew it was far under-priced for such a gorgeous mask. I looked it up and from what I gather it’s either from Portugal or Spain, but I’m not entirely sure because similar masks don’t have leather straps and metal inlay detail. Forest, 1129 (He collects animal masks of all kinds and is especially fond of Kwele antelopes.) A: I wrote back that he was correct on location, but that it was decorative wall art, not a real mask. Instead of just writing back to him I decided to…
