La Parota, Guerrero

15 inches, hammered copper sheet, paint, cloth lining

Masked like this were made for tourists visiting the mountains of Northeastern Guerrero since the early days. Ironically, this decorative mask is probably older than most of the authentic masks in the collection. They were made as early as 1900 in the mountains of Northeastern Guerrero, a mining area. Age of this one is unknown. According to Cordry, these large beaten-metal masks were used many years ago in a Rain-Petitioning Dance, but most collectors today think they are strictly decorative. Very popular, they even show up in museums.