Black, red, yellow and gold Vintage Mexican Devil Mask with snakes For Sale

This Mexican dance mask representing a wild, animalistic devil was bought in in San Miguel Allende in 1992. Made of hand carved and painted wood, it is estimated to date from the 1980s. Believed to be from Michoacån in southern Mexico due to the use of serpents in its design, of its open mouth and protruding tongue and its use of an anthropomorphic European Devil face combined with zoomorphic features, all characteristic of devil masks from that region. A high degree of craft characterizes Michoacån mask-makers. It measures 17.5 inches in height and 12 inches in width without including its snake horns. The horns add approximately 20 inches in width to the mask. It is in very good condition despite some normal wear and tear to the paint to be expected from its age and use. The mask has been waxed by a restorer to protect the paintwork.Horned devil masks are among the most popular traditional dance masks in Mexico. They are also some of the most skillfully made and imaginatively designed among contemporary masks. According to mask scholar Donald Cordry the origin of devil masks is Christian, since when the Spaniards arrived in Mexico they brought the Devil with them. There are two basic types of devil masks: the European Devils and the wild, animalistic devils, which were pre-hispanic \"nagual\" (spirit) and monster masks. When the Europeans arrived they added horns to these masks and renamed them devils. The devil figure is now viewed as a prankster or clown more than a symbol of evil: he tells vulgar jokes, makes obscene gestures, discusses local scandals with immunity (\"The Devil made me do it!\") and keeps everyone generally amused. There are many devil dances, and the figure usually provides a counterpoint, relieving tension. Devils are also associated with Carnival, when a masked devil often rides down the streets of the town on horseback. The snake is an agricultural symbol in Mexican Indian culture: a symbol of the soil and of fertility because of its phallic associations, so this mask may have rain-petitioning associations.Should you be interested in seeing detail photographs of this piece please let us know.BEFORE YOU BUY: Shipping options/cost quotedare approximate USPS Priority Mail within the US, and UPS Ground within the US: please contact us for exact shipping costs. International customers please contact us regarding shipping costs.