Central America, Guatemala & Mexico, ca. early to mid-20th century CE. A collection of 3 handmade wood festival masks- 2 decorated with facial hair made from horsehair and vegetal fibers. The vibrant pink skin and blonde strands, call to mind the hermit in the Mexican Pastorela dance. The other trimmed black horsehair beard and goatee mask may have been used in the Dance of the Conquest. The oldest mask in the group has a set of painted eyes set below the openings for the wearer to see through. Both Mexico and Guatemala have a long tradition of wooden folk-art masks, used in dances and ceremonies held throughout the year. Size: 8" L x 6" W (20.3 cm x 15.2 cm)

Provenance: ex-private Bishop Family Trust collection, the Trust of the late Bill Bishop, a noted antiquarian with shops in Scottsdale, Arizona and Allenspark, Colorado, USA, acquired before 2010

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#173653

Surface chips and abrasions to wood. Loss to hairs on wood mask with painted eyes. Fading to pink pigment. Stable fissures on mouth.