Unsigned but attributed to Victoriano Salgado Morales (1920 - 2012)
Uruapan, Michoacan, Mexico,
c.1970 - 1980
Maque lacquer on wood.
(9" h. x 7” w. x 5” d.)

A prolific designer and maker of wooden, maque, decorative masks used by dancers in Purépecha fiestas, one of Grand Masters of Mexican Folk art and one of last skilled masters of this unique art form.  Mr. Salgado learned this skill from several mask makers of the Magdalena neighborhood where he grew up. His first mask dates back to 1950 and it was a "Negrito" folk dance mask.

Victoriano's masks are not painted, the process used for color is a highly superior technique called "maque", which is a pre-hispanic process involving numerous applications of natural earth and insect pigments and oils applied with the palm of the hand that hardens into a brilliant, lustrous surface. 

Mr. Salgado created over 60 different masks, the most famous: dance of the Señor Naranjo, and the dance of the Tataqueri, Corcovi, Negritos and Viejitos.

He passed away on September 2012 two weeks before receiving the Erendira Award, The highest prize given by the Michoacan State Government.