Diablo mask with three snakes, dance and state undetermined - Mexico,
early 20th century
wood, oil paint, ribbon
(14” w. x 9.5” d. x 22”h.).
Ex. Brand collection.

Unsigned but attributed to Victoriano Salgado Morales (1920 - 2012)
Dance of Los Viejitos.  Uruapan, Michoacan, Mexico,
mid-20th century
"Maque" lacquer on carved wood.  (9 3/4” h. x  6 3/4” w. x 4” d.)

Unsigned but attributed to Victoriano Salgado Morales (1920 - 2012)
Dance of Los Viejitos.  Uruapan, Michoacan, Mexico,
mid-20th century
Maque lacquer on wood with natural fiber and animal teeth.
(8 1/2" h. x 6 1/2” w. x 4 1/2” d.)

Manuel Abeiro Horta Ramos
Tocuaro, Michoacan, Mexico,
c.2014
wood, oil enamel
(8" w. x 7 1/2" d. x 9 1/2" h.)

Moor Mask - Guerrero, Mexico, mid-20th century.
Carved wood w/ oil-based paints.
6" w. x 9 1/2” h. x 3 1/2” d.
Ex. Brand collection.

Carnaval de Chivos - San Bartolo, Hidalgo, Mexico,
c. 1990's
wood, oil paint, goat horn, Horse hair, ribbon, steel wire
(9" w. x 5" d. x 18" h.)

El Pocho dance - Teposque, Tabasco, Mexico,
c. 1970's
wood, automotive oil paint,
(6" w. x 5" d. x 7 1/2" h.).
Ex. Brand collection.

Michoacan, Mexico, mid-20th century.
Carved wood w/ oil paint, with crown of steel, paper, string, mirror, misc. materials, with custom steel stand.
6 1/2” w. x 11”h. x 6 1/2” d., not including metal stand.
Ex. Brand collection.

Pastorela dance - Uruapan, Michoacan, Mexico,
c. 1990
lacquer, wood, animal teeth, cow horns
(15" w. x 6 1/4" d. x 11 1/2" h.)

Carnival - Carpinteros, Hidalgo, Mexico,
20th century
wood, oil paint
(22" w. x 5" d. x 19" h.)

Chantolo mask -  Hidalgo, Mexico, mid-20th century.
Carved wood w/ oil and mineral-based paints.
6 1/4" w. x 8 1/4” h. x 3 1/2” d.
Ex. Brand collection.

Chantolo dance - Huasteca region, Hidalgo, Mexico,
c. 1970's
wood,  oil paint, metal foil.
(5.75" w. x 3.5" d. x 7.5" h.).
Ex. Brand collection.

Silacayopan, Oaxaca, Mexico, mid-20th century.
Carved wood w/ oil paint, added materials.
6 1/4" w. x 7” h. x 2 3/4” d.
Ex. Brand collection.

Viejito dance, Carnival, Veracruz, Mexico,
mid-20th cent.  Originally part of pair with mask #MXM-117.
Wood painted with oil paints,w/ metal earrings
(7 3/4” w x 7 1/4” h x 4 1/4” d.)

Tocotin mask - Danza de Tocotines, Moors and Christians, Totonac people, Papantla region, Veracruz, Mexico, mid-20th century.
Carved wood w/ oil-based paints.
8 1/2” h. x 7” w. x 5” d.

Pascola dance - Yaqui or Mayo people, Sonora, Mexico,
c. 1990's
wood,  oil paint, horse hair.
(9 1/2” h. 8” w. x 5” d., not including horse hair).

Pascola dance - Yaqui or Mayo people, Sonora, Mexico,
c. 1990's
wood,  oil paint, horse hair.
(7 3/4" h. x 6 1/4” w. x 5 1/4” d., not including horse hair).

Skull mask - Unknown dance, unknown region, Mexico, mid-20th century.
Carved wood w/ wax, mineral pigments.
7" h. x 5 1/2” w. x 4” d.

Celaya, Guanajuato, Mexico,
Mid-20th century.
Molded papier maché mask.  Made on traditional clay mask mold.
(10” h. x 8” w. x 5” d.)

Purchased in Mexico c.1985.

Inexpensive masks of paper or pasteboard (máscaras de cartón), formed over a pottery mold and then painted, have been made in Mexico for perhaps a century or longer. Máscaras Mexicanas, a book featuring photographs of Mexican masks, was initially published in Mexico City in about 1926, with a prologue by Roberto Montenegro. There are about 20 of these paper mache masks in the book, along with others of wood and pre-Conquest masks made of other materials such as stone. Moya Rubio included a selection of these masks in plate 188, on page 157 ( Máscaras: la Otra Cara, 1986). Notes from  the late Bryan Stevens, 2018