Latin American Masks
The very distinctive style of masks began to
emerge in pre – Hispanic America about 1200 BC, although it has been found that
many masks were made at a far earlier time (though not as distinctive as
these). In the Andes the masks were used to cover the faces of the dead. These
masks were made of fabric but as time moved on they become made of copper or
gold, also clay but this was a lot rarer. For the Aztecs, human skulls were
seen as trophies of war and were well sort after, this made skull masks quite
common place. Masks were also used as a form of entertainment that might have
had religious and political ties as well.
Traditions in postcolonial Latin America merged
with Christian rituals, masquerades and ceremonies, such as all souls, which
mixed with day of the dead. This mixture was not liked by the church who had
tried to stamp out all indigenous traditions. To this day, masks remain an
important feature of popular carnivals and religious dances, such as the dance
of the moors and Christians.
Mexico still produces a wide variety of masks with creativity in mind,
for collectors and carnival.