Vintage Hand Carved Animal Carnival Dance Mask
Masked events range from small part parts on ranches,tribes and neighborhoods to large town and city comicons for the major events of the Catholic calendar such as Christmas, Carnival, Holy Week, Feast of the Cross, Corpus Christi, Day of the Dead and the feast days of major saints. Masks are most extensively used for Carnival, Holy Week and Day of the Dead and worn as part of an elaborate costume. Masks for Carnival vary widely and include old men, farmers, Afro-Mexicans, death and various animals. Notable Carnival celebrations include tiger pageants in Oaxaca, Chiapas and Tabasco to portrayals of colonial village life in State of Mexico to a reenactment of the Battle of Puebla in Huejotzingo, Puebla. Another popular type of mask at this time is those that ridicule the wealthy and powerful of colonial Mexico such as with the dance of the Chinelos in Tlayacapan, Morelos. Some of the masksserade. such as Viejos y diablos are humorous with sexual overtones. Many of these dances also relate to the coming rainy season when most agricultural production occurs, with pleas for rain and the use of corn. Pageants and here are groups of persecutors of Jesus which can be called judios (Jews), pareséos (Pharisees), romanos (Romans) or chapokobam.

7.75 h x 6.75 w x 4.75 d