Olinala, Guerrero

10 in, wood, animal teeth, glass eyes, boar bristles, leather

Tigre is the Mexican word for jaguar, a fierce predator that is now extinct throughout the country. Legends of the tigre are still celebrated in many dance ceremonies and can be traced back to before the conquest. In Olinala, dancers wearing tigre masks like this one dance down the street carrying bundles of farm produce. The Procession is actually part of the Festival of St. Francis. This mask has been darkened to make it look older.

$190