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Mexican Chapayeka mask Yaqui people, Sonora, Mexico, 14 inches, goatskin helmet, painted wood face, cardboard crown, horse hair beard A helmet-style mask that fits over the dancer’s head. They are often made by the dancer himself and portray such things as animals, old men and lewd women. The performances of the Chapayeka (also called chapokobam, fariseos or judios) increase in intensity during Holy Week when the dancers participate in the community religious processions, acting as clowns and making fun of the liturgical activities. The Yaquis believe that through the use of these masks and mimicking evil behavior, that somehow they can collect the evil within the community. The masks are then burned at the climax, and evil is thereby banished for another year. This one has not been danced, and it could use some minor repairs like supporting backs for the bent wingtips and darkening the mustache roots. The mask is pictured in the catalog Masks From Around the World, Lancaster Museum of Art, 2002. $225
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