Malinche mask

Guatemala

8 inches, painted wood

She is a princess in the royal family of King Quiche and becomes the translator for Cortez. Malinche is proficient in several indigenous languages, as well as Spanish. The conquistadores would have never conquered the Aztecs without her assistance. She is said to have married Cortez, at which time her name was changed to Dona Marina. A truly complex character, Guatemalans consider her as both the heroic mother of all Mestizos... and a traitor to her people. The red dot on her nose represents a blush, but the yellow hair ribbon I cannot explain.

$345