Masks (Máscaras)
Masks are perhaps the most elaborate of the ceremonial arts in Mexico. Indigenous traditions of masking were overlaid with Catholic influences brought by the Spanish. Today, masks are found primarily in the southern, central, and northwestern states of Mexico, areas containing substantial Indian populations.
Masks are embedded in communal ceremonial dances, particularly for the feast day of the local patron saint as well as for the rest of the annual fiesta cycle. These masked dances are intended to ensure community welfare and prosperity. Among the popular subjects are historical pageants such as the battle between the Moors and the Christians, depictions of the Spanish Conquest, or cosmological dramas involving a range of animal and supernatural figures.
In most areas masks are made by specialists, almost always men; in some cases dancers make their own masks. While carved and painted wood is today the most common material, masks are also made from leather, papier-mâché, clay, cloth, cardboard, wire mesh, gourds, and wax.
Because of their wide appeal, masks are often made for sale. Many of the spectacular examples displayed here were specially made in Guerrero for sale to Donald Cordry, a noted scholar and collector of masks. While not authentic representations of ritual objects, they are stunning examples of the creativity of Mexican mask-makers.
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