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The Katharyn and Gordon Rayner Collection of Mexican Masks

This collection of Mexican Dance Masks was carefully assembled by the late Canadian artist Gordon Rayner and his wife, Kate Regan Rayner.  The masks were acquired in Mexico City and Oaxaca, between 1990 and 2010.  Many of the masks come from the distinguished collecion of Jaled Muyaes and Estela Ogazón, in Mexico City.
 
Notes from the website of the late Canadian artist, Gordon Rayner:
Gordon Rayner (1935-2010) was born and died in Toronto, a city he loved, but also loved to wander from. He travelled the world and also spent much time in the Ontario bush country, whose mysteries inspired much of his work. “Mnemonica,” his essay for the 1979 retrospective, is an engrossing personal history and reflection on his early artistic influences and methods of working. It appears on the Centre for Contemporary Canadian Art website and the link is here: ccca.ca. However, Rayner painted vigorously for another three decades, moving from abstract to figurative works, from oil to acrylic and back to oil again, exploring many subjects and ending up with a series of lucid, unsparing self-portraits. While he was criticized by some for being always unpredictable, he had many ideas and too much curiosity to rest in one place. He loved the work of Morandi, who timelessly repainted the same bottles and jars, with mere variations of configuration, but such was not Rayner’s way. It was important to step into the unknown. “What matters, but risk,” he would say. He liked to work in series, such as his “constructed paintings,” birds-and-bush paintings of the 80’s, the fantastical Oaxaca Suite and related paintings of Mexico, the portraits of artists and the final self-portraits. The last one, waiting for him on his easel, is unfinished. He was working to the end, always pushing toward the next discovery. Additional works can be seen at Christopher Cutts Gallery.
Kate Regan Rayner February 2018

Kate Regan Rayner, widow of the late Gordon Rayner, died on January 2, 2023.

In the Fall of 2023 the collection of masks was exhibited at the Mexican embassy in Otttawa, Canada.

Works in Collection

Azteca Dance of the Conquest Mask
SKU: MXM-170-12

Azteca Dance of the Conquest Mask ( Mask with eagle nose/projection, and long horsehair beard) Puebla or Veracruz, Mexico. 20th century. Oil paint on carved wood with horse hair (10.5” h. x 7” w. x 10.75” d., 26” h. w/ beard) Provenance: from the Katharyn and Gordon Rayner Collection of Mexican Masks, Canada. Purchased from the collection of Jaled Muyaes, Mexico City, c.1990.
In the Fall of 2023 this mask was included in an exhibition at the Mexican embassy in Otttawa, Canada.

 

$1800

Diablo Mask with Downward Diving Man
SKU: MXM-170-7

Diablo mask. Veracruz, Mexico. Mid-20th century. Acrylic paint on carved wood (9.5” h. x 12.75” w. x 5.75” d.)
Provenance: from the Katharyn and Gordon Rayner Collection of Mexican Masks, Canada. Purchased from the collection of Jaled Muyaes, Mexico City, c.1990.
In the Fall of 2023 this mask was included in an exhibition at the Mexican embassy in Otttawa, Canada.

$1500

Huasteca/Otomi Chivo Mask
SKU: MXM-170-11

Huasteca/Otomi Chivo (goat) mask with ribboned headdress for Carnival. Hidalgo, Mexico. Mid-20th century. Oil paint on carved wood with horse hair, yarn, ribbon, wire, brass bells, steel nails (22 1/2” h. x 11” w. x 6” d., 33” w/ beard).
Provenance: from the Katharyn and Gordon Rayner Collection of Mexican Masks, Canada. Purchased from the collection of Jaled Muyaes, Mexico City, c.1990.
In the Fall of 2023 this mask was included in an exhibition at the Mexican embassy in Otttawa, Canada.

$1200

Tecuan Mask, Dance of Tigres
SKU: MXM-170-34

Dance of Tigres. Zitlala, Guerrero, Mexico. Mid-20th century.
Painted leather with boar bristles, glass mirrors, cotton (14.75” h. x 14.5” w. x 14.5” d.)
Provenance: from the Katharyn and Gordon Rayner Collection of Mexican Masks, Canada. Purchased in Mexico c. 1990.
In the Fall of 2023 this mask was included in an exhibition at the Mexican embassy in Otttawa, Canada.

$950

Tapir Mask
SKU: MXM-170-23

Animal (tapir or wild boar) mask. State undetermined, Mexico. Mid-20th century. wood, oil paint, glass marbles (16” h. x 7” w. x 6” d.)
Provenance: from the Katharyn and Gordon Rayner Collection of Mexican Masks, Canada. Purchased from the collection of Jaled Muyaes, Mexico City, c.1990.
In the Fall of 2023 this mask was included in an exhibition at the Mexican embassy in Otttawa, Canada.

$950

Venado (deer) Mask
SKU: MXM-170-1

Venado (deer) mask for Carnaval. Hidalgo, Mexico. Mid-20th century. Oil paint on carved wood with animal horn (21” h. x 25.5” w. x 8.5” d.)
Provenance: from the Katharyn and Gordon Rayner Collection of Mexican Masks, Canada. Purchased from the collection of Jaled Muyaes, Mexico City, c.1990.
In the Fall of 2023 this mask was included in an exhibition at the Mexican embassy in Otttawa, Canada.

$950

Tecuan Mask, Dance of Tigres
SKU: MXM-170-35

Dance of Tigres. Zitlala, Guerrero, Mexico. Mid-20th century.
Painted leather with boar bristles, glass mirrors, cotton (14.5” h. x 16.75” w. x 12” d. )
Provenance: from the Katharyn and Gordon Rayner Collection of Mexican Masks, Canada. Purchased in Mexico c. 1990.
In the Fall of 2023 this mask was included in an exhibition at the Mexican embassy in Otttawa, Canada.

$950

Moro Mask
SKU: MXM-170-18

Puebla (?), Mexico, mid-20th century wood, oil paint (8.25” h. x 6.5” w. x 4.75” d.)
Provenance: from the Katharyn and Gordon Rayner Collection of Mexican Masks, Canada. Purchased from the collection of Jaled Muyaes, Mexico City, c.1990.
In the Fall of 2023 this mask was included in an exhibition at the Mexican embassy in Otttawa, Canada.

$850

Spotted Cat Mask
SKU: MXM-170-28

Spotted Animal (cat or hyena) mask.
State undetermined, Mexico. Mid-20th century.
wood, oil paint, (13” h. x 7.75” w. x 6.5” d.)
Provenance: from the Katharyn and Gordon Rayner Collection of Mexican Masks, Canada. Purchased from the collection of Jaled Muyaes, Mexico City, c.1990.
In the Fall of 2023 this mask was included in an exhibition at the Mexican embassy in Otttawa, Canada.

$850

Mayo Pascola Mask from Sonora
SKU: MXM-170-29

Bonifacio Bamea (per label on back), Mayo people, Sonora, Mexico (location on label appears to read "El Guaporin"). Mid-20th century.
wood, oil paint, horse hair, glass crystals (7.5” h. x 5.5” w. x 4” d., 14” h. incl. beard)
Provenance: from the Katharyn and Gordon Rayner Collection of Mexican Masks, Canada. Purchased from the collection of Jaled Muyaes, Mexico City, c.1990.
In the Fall of 2023 this mask was included in an exhibition at the Mexican embassy in Otttawa, Canada.

$850

Product Status: 
Sold
Tejorone Mask with Whiskers
SKU: MXM-170-36

Dance of the Tejorones. Coastal Oaxaca, probably Pinotepa area, Mexico, 20th century.
wood, oil paint, animal (probably rabbit) fur (7.75” h. x 5.2” w. x 4” d.)
Provenance: from the Katharyn and Gordon Rayner Collection of Mexican Masks, Canada. Purchased from the collection of Jaled Muyaes, Mexico City, c.1990.
In the Fall of 2023 this mask was included in an exhibition at the Mexican embassy in Otttawa, Canada.

$650

Tricolor Mask with Beard
SKU: MXM-170-2

Veracruz, Mexico. 20th century. wood, oil paint, animal hair (8.5” h. x. 6.75” w. x 4” d., 15” h. w. bead).  
Provenance: from the Katharyn and Gordon Rayner Collection of Mexican Masks, Canada. Purchased from the collection of Jaled Muyaes, Mexico City, c.1990.
In the Fall of 2023 this mask was included in an exhibition at the Mexican embassy in Otttawa, Canada.

$450

Perro - Dog Mask
SKU: MXM-170-33

Carnaval - Veracruz, Mexico,
Puebla, Mexico. 20th century
oil paint on wood (10” h. x 5.5” w. x 4.75” d.)
Provenance: from the Katharyn and Gordon Rayner Collection of Mexican Masks, Canada. Purchased in Oaxaca or Mexico City, c. 1990s.
In the Fall of 2023 this mask was included in an exhibition at the Mexican embassy in Otttawa, Canada.

$450

Gold Faced mask
SKU: MXM-170-14

Gold Faced mask for Dance of El Pochó. Area of Tenosique, Tabasco, Mexico. C.1990.
Oil paint on wood (8” h. x 6” w. x 5” d.).  A mask for the gilded age!
Provenance: from the Katharyn and Gordon Rayner Collection of Mexican Masks, Canada. Purchased from the collection of Jaled Muyaes, Mexico City, c.1990.
In the Fall of 2023 this mask was included in an exhibition at the Mexican embassy in Otttawa, Canada.

$450

Negrito Colmilludos Mask from Oaxaca
SKU: MXM-170-16

"Negrito Colmilludo" (tusked little black one) mask.
Oaxaca, Mexico. 20th century.
wood, oil paint, (7.75” h. x 5.2” w. x 4” d.)
Provenance: from the Katharyn and Gordon Rayner Collection of Mexican Masks, Canada. Purchased from the collection of Jaled Muyaes, Mexico City, c.1990.
In the Fall of 2023 this mask was included in an exhibition at the Mexican embassy in Otttawa, Canada.

$450