Alvarado mask

San Cristobal Totonicapan, Guatemala

8.5 inches, painted wood

This old Pedro Alvarado mask from the Dance of the Conquest bears the moreria mark of Pedro Antonio Tistoj Masariegos, 1912-1978. The mark is burnt in on both sides of the rear. The mask has been repainted many times. Fine moreria masks can trace their sculptural and painting traditions back to the colonial era and are heavily influenced by European styles. Alas, carvers with this level of skill are rapidly disappearing.

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