Jarrero mask

Baile de Recua, San Pedro Carcha, Alta Verapaz

8 inches, painted wood

Some very interesting dance masks come from Alta Verapaz, an area of Guatemala where the Kekchi Maya fought off the Spanish and escaped their domination and that of the Catholic church. The indigenous culture due to its isolation and independence were able to retain the Pre-conquest dances and traditions. San Pedro Carcha is a town in Alta Verapaz known for its fine mask makers, especially the the large Germanic-looking ornate mustached characters for the dance of the Christians and the Moors. (Mary Perez)

This mask character is Jarrero, from the Baile de Recua, which I believe roughly translates as Dance of the Animals. Gordon Frost shows an older example of this character in his catalog published in 1976. It is a folk carving. Many masks from this area are carved by the dancer, as there aren’t a lot of morerias. Used, but good condition.

$270