A couple of weeks ago an artist came to Lakeside from Tonala to show his work. I saw this mask and was intrigued. The face is made of clay and the teeth come from a cow; the hair is from a horse's tail. It is beautifully painted. His eyebrows, a lizard perched on his massive nose as well as his lips are in high relief. The colors are extraordinarily vivid.
This mask is made to be worn in festivals. The hair is sewn onto a kind of woven rush cap which fits over the head of the wearer. In fact, it fits my face perfectly; as if made for me so of course I just had to buy it.
Many of the designs of masks made in Mexico come from the dreams (or nightmares) of the maker. They can represent evil as well as benevolent entities meant to drive away devils by their scary looks.
