Guatemala

“Mexican” Guatemalan dance mask

Q:  I found this mask at a Goodwill for $7.99 along with two other similar wooden masks, though this one is the  most interesting to me. It is carved wood and looks like it has glass eyes. It looks like there might have been fake eyelashes attached at one point, but they are gone now. The teeth look like they have some sort of plastic covering over them. It is roughly 9 inches long and 7 inches wide. It has the initials J.T.S. on the back.  Kelley, 1394

A:  The Mask Man is so happy when someone finds a desirable masks. It doesn’t happen very often! This is a “Mexican” who is an important character in a frequently performed Guatemalan dance. Probably from this century, it has been rented several times by the JTS morreria (Spanish for “costume shop”). Those handmade glass eyes are well glued in place, but the eyelashes don’t hold up very well. Serious collectors of Guatemalan masks will love this authentic artifact.  A

 

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