TITLE: Carnival Character
GENERAL REGION: Latin America
COUNTRY: Guatemala
SUBREGION: Unknown
ETHNICITY: Mayan
DESCRIPTION: Wood Carnival character mask
CATALOG ID: LAGT031
MAKER: Unknown
CEREMONY: Carnival
AGE: 1950s
MAIN MATERIAL: hardwood
OTHER MATERIALS: paint
The Carnival is celebrated throughout Guatemala with masks having religious, historical, and political themes, but masks representing animals or poking fun at prominent villagers are also common. This mask, skillfully carved from hardwood in the 1950s to represent a furious bearded man, uses subtle paints in a style very uncommon in Guatemala. It is unknown whether the maker was targeting a specific individual or merely trying to provoke laughs by the contrast between the angry character and the merry atmosphere of Carnival.
