Description
En México se elaboran máscaras en decenas de ciudades, pueblos, ranchos y barrios para recordar historias, creencias o enseñanzas religiosas; para festejar al santo patrón, participar en carnavales o destinarlas al mercado. Son resultado del sincretismo material y simbólico entre culturas prehispánicas, europeas y africanas.
Ya sea que representan personas, animales, héroes, diablos o seres sobrenaturales las máscaras traslucen la cosmovisión de los pueblos y la imaginación de los artesanos. Las hay de cartón, cuero, madera o tela, algunas con estructuras de alambre o carrizo; para formar cabelleras, bigotes, barbas y cejas utilizan pelo de animal o de humanos, ixtle o algodón; para los ojos mica, mármol, vidrios y espejos y, la dentadura, la forman con colmillos, huesos o granos de maíz; la lengua generalmente es un cuero pintado de rojo; si lleva cuernos, serán de vaca o chivo. No son pocas las que incluyen cintas, campanas o lentejuelas. Los yaquis utilizan la cabeza disecada de un venado para su danza tradicional.
Las máscaras tienen sus propias características según la festividad a la que están vinculadas. Por ejemplo, las máscaras chapayecasThey are used in the Dance of the Pharisees, organized by Yaquis and Mayos in the north; those of devils for the Holy Week celebration among the choirs; those of jaguar for the Tiger Fight that is organized in Guerrero. There are also masks of old men, chinacos, Moors or Christians for other dances. Cloth masks are used in wrestling. The Huichols carve the mask out of wood and cover it with Campeche wax covered with beads.
These masks can be admired at the National Mask Museum, in San Luis Potosí or at the Rafael Coronel Museum in Zacatecas.
english
MasksIn Mexico, masks are made in dozens of cities, towns, villages, ranches and neighborhoods to recall stories, beliefs or religious teachings; to celebrate the patron saint, to participate in carnivals or to be sold at the market. They are the result of material and symbolic syncretism between pre-Hispanic, European and African cultures.
Whether they represent people, animals, heroes, wrestlers, devils, or supernatural beings, the masks reflect the worldview of the people and the imagination of the artisans. They are made of cardboard, leather, wood or cloth, some with wire or reed structures; to form hair, mustaches, beards and eyebrows they use animal or human hair, “ixtle” or cotton; for the eyes they use mica, marble, glass, mirrors and for the teeth, they form them with fangs, bones or corn kernels. The tongue is generally made of leather painted red. If it has horns, they are made of cow or goat. Some include ribbons, bells or sequins. The Yaquis use the stuffed head of a deer for their traditional dance.
The masks have their own characteristics depending on the festivity to which they are linked. For example, “chapayecas” masks are used in the “Danza de los Fariseos”, organized by Yaquis and Mayos in the north; devil masks are used for the “Semana Santa” celebration among the Cora; Jaguar masks are used for the “Pelea de Tigres” organized in Guerrero. There are also masks of old men, “chinacos”, Moors or Christians for other dances. Cloth masks are used in wrestling. The Huichols carve the mask out of wood, cover it with wax from Campeche and cover it with beads. These masks can be admired in the Museo Nacional de la Máscara in San Luis Potosí or in the Museo Rafael Coronel in Zacatecas. In the Museum of Popular Art MAP.
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