Dance of Diablada
Bolivia, late-20th cent.
Unpainted tin from recycled alcohol cans
22" w. x 14 1/2" d. x 23" h.)

The devil, also known as "Tio", resides in the depth of the horrible mines. The conquistadores inscripted the Indian men as laborers in the mines for silver, then tin, where millions perished. This was reinterpreted by the new Catholic Indians as the infernos of hell. Archangel Michael the rescuer fighting the devil and his temptress China Supay is the centerpiece of the annual dance festival known as the Diablada.

Dance of Diablado
late-20th cent.
Unpainted tin from recycled alcohol cans
(11" w. x 15" d. x 12" h.)

The cunning wolf, a symbol most likely adapted from the European tradition in place of the puma.

Dance of Diablado
Bolivia, late-20th cent.
Unpainted tin from recycled alcohol cans
(14 1/2" w. x 12" d. x 15" h.)

According to myth there was once an Andean bear. The origin of the mask could be credited to both the indigenous people, europeans or even the Chinese. The bear appears as a figure in many of the street dances, including the Carnaval and Gran Poder during summer solstice. the entire costume has an aura of humor as then participants must wear a body suit made of fake fur to make themselves look beasty.

Dance of Diablado
Bolivia, late-20th cent.
Unpainted tin from recycled alcohol cans
10" w. x 14" d. x 14" h.)

If you steal, you become an armadillo. The folklore behind the armadillo comes from the vast dryland in between the altiplano and the Amazon basin, the southeastern region of Bolivia.

Dance of Diablado
Bolivia, late-20th cent.
Unpainted tin from recycled alcohol cans
11" w. x 14" d. x 15 1/2" h.)

The condor has always been a symbol of great power as the master of the sky (though it is more a reminder of past glory of the Andean culture, as they are now rarely seen ). The condor attacking and winning over the bull is the image re-enacted frequently.