Guerrero, Mexico

29 inches, painted wood

One of the most beautiful Mexican decoratives I own. Also one of the largest. Hang this guy on the wall and he will get everyone's attention. But this mask is not for wearing.

In his famous book published in 1981, Donald Cordy pictures a number of differently bearded masks which he calls Barbones, Dwarves, and other clever names given by the men who sold masks to him. In some cases there were detailed description of the traditional ceremonies for which they were used in the old days. Unfortunately, this was false. Almost half of the mask shown in Mexican Masks are recent non-traditional designs made for the tourist trade and are not for usage.