Tatoxca, State of Puebla, Mexico

8 Inches, painted wood.

The carver, Teodoro Tacuepian Galvan, was born in 1911, so he is currently 96 years old. He began carving in the last 20-30 years, he has carved many masks and his masks have been quite popular. This mask shows his typical style, for instance the carving of the ears, the manner of painting the eyes, and the broad grin with painted teeth. This mask shows significant wear, in terms of the patina on the back, probably it was used for 5 or 10 years. From a collector’s perspective, this carver’s masks have a sameness across characters and dances that is not so interesting, and maybe this is why they tend to be inexpensive to buy, compared to more intriquite masks. Yet these masks are rather vivid, quite attractive and therefore genuine bargains.

sold