Yanhuitlan, Oaxaca

8 inches, painted wood

This resembles a Chilolo mask from Oaxaca. In addition to the decoration, it is crude in construction and made of extra-thick wood that could be useful for protection in mock fighting which is part of the village ritual. See page 82 Lechega’s Mask Arts of Mexico. However, it also resembles some of the Tecuani masks from Guerrero that I have seen. Regardless, it is a fine example of primitive Mexican folk art. The nose is a separate piece of wood nailed into place. The large crack on the inside does not go through to the front, so the mask is quite strong and looks fine from the front.

$275