Vintage Mexican Diablo Mask

Very good condition diablo mask with human face and long horns. Horns measure 14 inches.

“The Dance of the Devils (los Diablos) is both a dance in its own right and, at the same time, a concept, an institution that appears in almost every other dance in Mexico. In Mexico, the Devil is more than just a symbol for sin and evil; he is the clown who pulls pranks, tells vulgar jokes, makes obscene gestures , and keeps everyone generally amused. The Devil shows up in dances such as Los Concheros (one of the Conquest dances), the Pastorela Dance, the Tigre dances, etc. He provides the counterpoint to these dances, relieving the tensions that build up in some of the more combative dances and in the community at large. He can talk about peoples’ weaknesses and local scandals with immunity, for whatever he says will be dismissed because it comes from the Devil.”

Mexican Masks by Donald Cordry