Mexican mask-folk art refers to the making and use of masks for various traditional dances and ceremony in Mexico. Evidence of mask making in the region extends for thousands of years and was a well-established part of ritual life in the pre-Hispanic territories that are now Mexico well before the Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire occurred. In the early colonial period, evangelists took advantage of native customs of dance and mask to teach the Catholic faith although later, colonial authorities tried to ban both unsuccessfully. After Mexican Independence, mask and dance traditions showed a syncretism and mask traditions have continued to evolve into new forms, depicting Mexico's history and newer forms of popular culture such as lucha libre. Most traditional masks are made of wood, while some are made from leather, wax, cardboard, papier-mâché or other materials. Masks commonly depict Europeans (Spanish, French, etc.), Afro-Mexicans, old men and women, animals, and the fantastic or the supernatural, especially demons or the devil.
History
The use of masks and costumes was an important part of Mesoamerican cultures for long before the arrival of the Spanish. Evidence of masks made with bone thousands of years old have been found at Tequixquiac, State of Mexico.Lechuga 1995, p.120 The uses of these masks were varied but always connected to ceremony and ritual, especially in theatrical dance and processions.Mauldin 1999, p.1 High priests used masks to incarnate deities.Lechuga 1995, p.12 Jaguar and eagle warriors dressed themselves like these animals in order to gain their strengths.Lechuga 1995, p.18 Funeral masks were reserved for the burials of the very elite such as that of King Pakal and were works of art, made of jade, shell, obsidian, hematite and other precious materials of the time.MAPFRE 1991, p. 25 Masks used in theatrical performances and dances varied widely: from depictions of the various animals of the Mesoamerican world, to images of old men and women generally for comedic relief, to designs that made fun of neighboring ethnic groups.
Some ancient masks made of stone or fired clay have survived to the present. However, most were made of degradable materials such as wood, amate paper, cloth and feathers. Knowledge of these types comes from codices, depictions on sculptures and the writings of the conquering Spanish.Lechuga, Sayer 1995, p.7 Indications of ancient mask types also exist through dances that have survived from the pre-Hispanic period, such as Tecuanes, Tigres and Tlacololeros.MAPFRE 1991, p.34
After the Conquest of the Aztec Empire, a number of Spanish historians noted indigenous religious rituals and ceremonies including those that used masks. The Spanish banned pre-Hispanic religion but the evangelizers used the cultures’ propensity for masks and spectacle to propagate the new faith, through plays and dance.Mauldin 1999, p. 2Lechuga, Sayer 1995, p.8MAPFRE 1991, p. 33 New dances evolved from the mystery plays and allegorical dramas used by evangelists.Lechuga, Sayer 1995, p. 10 One of the most important was a pageant that reenacted the battles between Christians and Moors, which used masks to imitate the Moors. This dance was rapidly adopted by the indigenous and performed in indigenous languages. Other masked dances developed in relation to Holy Week, Day of the Dead and the Conquest of Mexico, as well as Carnival, a European festival introduced by the Spanish.Mauldin 1999, p. 3 The masks for characters such as Hernán Cortés, La Malinche, shepherds, devils, kings developed and became very diverse.
Little is known about masks from the colonial era, but at least some came from the same workshops that produced saint images, which had sophisticated and realistic depictions of faces. Others were mostly likely made by those who sold or rented costumes to performers. Some may have been made by the dancers themselves.
The developing dances and other masked events became part of a syncretism of Catholic and native traditions and belief, especially Carnival and Holy Week, with the first coinciding with the Aztec New Year and new agricultural cycle. In addition, many of the masks developed during this time mocked colonial overlords.Lechuga, Sayer 1995, p. 11 For these reasons, at various times, masks and dances were forbidden by authorities from the 16th to 18th centuries.MAPFRE 1991, p. 18
Despite these prohibitions, masked celebrations survived until Independence, when Mexican Inquisition laws were completely repealed. What remained were a number of indigenous practices overlaid with Catholic and other European traditions.Lechuga, Sayer 1995, p. 64 While traditional hand-crafted indigenous masks were not held in high esteem, in Mexican cities of the 19th century, the buying of masks and costumes at stores was done, especially for Carnival.Lechuga 1995, p.22
After the Mexican Revolution a number of aspects of traditional Mexican life became revalued, including traditional and rural handcrafts.Lechuga 1995, p.27 Today, masked festivals and dances are most prevalent in areas of the country with large concentrations of indigenous peoples.Mauldin 1999, p. 4 Sophisticated masks made by saint makers still can be found in the states of Tlaxcala, Puebla, Oaxaca, Chiapas and Michoacán, but in most areas masks are made by lesser craftsmen. Past history and customs live on in traditional dances. These include the Conquest, Independence, and the Battle of Puebla, using masked characters.Lechuga, Sayer 1995, p. 12
Today, most mask use is related to celebrations and rituals, although modern images and new variations have entered modern popular culture. Traditional masks have been carved with images of figures such as Pedro Infante and Cantinflas.Lechuga 1995, p.141 The influence of Halloween from the United States has resulted in the appearance of commercially made masks for the days around Day of the Dead.MAPFRE 1991, p. 80 Masked characters appear in comics, television and movies such as El Chapulín Colorado and Karmatron. However, the most important uses of masks in Mexican popular culture are those associated with lucha libre, or professional wrestling.MAPFRE 1991, p. 87 Here, the mask is a symbol of the wrestler's professional identity. It is made of fabric and envelops the head as well as the face, with plastic reinforcement around the eyes and mouth. Designs are unique to each wrestler and they fight to defend this identity. A number of these masks have been passed down from father to son, such as those of El Santo, Blue Demon, Los Hermanos Dinamita, Tinieblas and Dos Caras. In the case of a bout called “lucha de apuestos” the loser loses his mask and his real face is revealed. After this, the mask can never be used again.MAPFRE 1991, p.88
Use of masks
Masks in Mexico are used in a wide variety of dance, ceremony, festivals and theater, with their wearing not separate from the event in which they are used.Mauldin 1999, p. 7Lechuga, Sayer 1995, p. 9 The most common uses are in traditional dances, which are a form of theater, with characters, storyline and music, but the performers are not professionals.Lechuga 1995, p.28 The purpose of the masks is to convert participants into other beings or characters.MAPFRE 1991, p. 22 This element is so important in many events that if a dancer does not use a mask, he often wears dark glasses to indicate that he is not his normal self. A double sense of masking is to use dark glasses over a mask.Lechuga, Sayer 1995, p. 14
With few exceptions, dances are performed by males, who play both male and female roles wearing masks. The reason for this is that it was not considered proper for women in Europe to act or dance, a prohibition brought to Mexico by the Spanish. One important character of this type is La Malinche, in dances about the Conquest.Lechuga, Sayer 1995, p. 32
Masked events range from small part parts on ranches, tribes and neighborhoods to large town and city comicons for the major events of the Catholic calendar such as Christmas, Carnival, Holy Week, Feast of the Cross, Corpus Christi, Day of the Dead and the feast days of major saints. Masks are most extensively used for Carnival, Holy Week and Day of the Dead and worn as part of an elaborate costume. Masks for Carnival vary widely and include old men, farmers, Afro-Mexicans, death and various animals.Lechuga, Sayer 1995, p. 17 Notable Carnival celebrations include “tiger” pageants in Oaxaca, Chiapas and Tabasco; portrayals of colonial village life in State of Mexico; and a reenactment of the Battle of Puebla in Huejotzingo. Another popular type of mask at this time is one that ridicules the wealthy and powerful of colonial Mexico, such as with the dance of the Chinelos in Tlayacapan, Morelos. Some of the masquerades such as Viejos y diablos are humorous with sexual overtones. Many of these dances also relate to the coming rainy season when most agricultural production occurs, with pleas for rain and the use of corn. Pageants and here are groups of “persecutors” of Jesus which can be called “judios” (Jews), “fareséos” (Pharisees), “romanos” (Romans) or “chapokobam”. One example of mask use for Day of the Dead is among the Huastecs, who portray their ancestors in this manner for the occasion.Mauldin 1999, p.6-7
Traditional masks are a dancer's prized possession.MAPFRE 1991, p. 41 Most dancers try to keep their mask in new condition and will take masks in to be cleaned and repainted.Lechuga, Sayer 1995, p. 13 In a number of communities, such as the Chontals in Tabasco, masks are generally kept in the local church when not in use. At the other end of the spectrum, the masking, wearing and destruction of a mask is part of Holy Week rituals among the Cora, Yaqui and Mayo. The Cora destroy their papier-mâché masks by immersing them in a local river while the Yaqui and Mayo burn them. In both cases, it is an act of purification.Lechuga 1995, p. 146Lechuga, Sayer 1995, p. 15
Mask making