Piece of the Month – July 2025
Mask
Alta Verapaz
This wooden mask, featuring leather ears, is a significant piece from the Museum’s “Danza de Diaablos” collection.
Similar masks are used in the December festivities honoring the Immaculate Conception of Mary in Alta Verapaz, it typically represents a bull or cow, though its appearance often evokes a devilish image.
Crafted by master Ricardo Ibarra in the early 1900s, this mask exemplifies a long-held cultural tradition.
An 1865 illustration by Firmin Bocourt, documents the dance in front of a Cobán church, provides compelling visual evidence of its historical depth within the country.
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