Painted Guatemalan Patrón Face Mask

This colorfully painted and expertly carved mask was once used in one of the oldest Guatemalan dance performances, the Baile del Patzcar. Still practiced today, this dance evolved from a Mayan purification ritual. Traditionally, a dancer wearing a mask representing a woman known as Lola performs a ritual using a white handkerchief to heal other masqueraders wearing rags and diseased masks.

The patrón character, represented by this mask, depicts the cruel European land owner married to Lola. The performance has an emphasis on comedy, with the various characters acting erratically and clumsily for entertainment. With his bushy eyebrows, whimsical mustache and bright red nose and cheeks, this mask can be mounted to add storied character to any interior.