Guadalupe Vadon Ochoa II

Posted on September 2, 2019 by Bryan Stevens

Last week I displayed some masks by Guadalupe Vadon Ochoa. Today we will examine a few more.

At some time after I had received last week’s masks, I purchased others that seem less refined. I don’t know the reason for this change in his style. It could be that last week’s masks were carved to an individual dancer’s order while this week’s were made for sale, and perhaps to a lower price point.

I do not recall anything about the first of these. Maybe I found it on Ebay™? I believe that this mask represents a monkey. It is slightly more carefully carved than the group of documented masks that follow, so it might seem like a bridge between last week’s masks and these others.

One is impressed by the simplicity of this functional design.

This wood has not been stained, it has simply been left in its natural color.

It was carefully carved, but the decoration has been simplified. The forehead cross, for example, has been reduced to very plain version.

The mouth and teeth are well done.

This mask is 7¾ inches tall, 5 3/8 inches wide, and 2¾ inches deep.

This mask lacks any notation on the back, but it was obviously made by Guadalupe if we compare it to the next group of seven masks. This back and the rest were all carefully carved and sanded, as if there was the possibility that they could be worn by a Pascola dancer.

On 11/8/2010 I purchased 7 more of Guadalupe’s masks from Tom Kolaz, so I have eleven in all. Tom had a group of 14 masks that he had obtained from Barney Burns and Mahina Drees, many years earlier; he kept seven and sold me the rest. Several masks from this group, such as this one, also seem to represent monkeys or apes.

I am interpreting the shape of the nose as a marker for an ape mask.

There is a very simple painted cross on the forehead.

The hair on this mask and some of the others is very thin, but this reflects insect damage. Originally these masks would have had hair like that on last week’s masks.

This mask is 9 inches tall, 6 inches wide, and 3 inches deep.

Unlike the first mask, all of this group of seven have typical documentation on the back by Barney Burns and Mahina Drees, and none seem to show significant staining from use. On this back we read—”9/90, Mexico, GV.” The labeled mask in last week’s post said “G.V.O, 9/87.” These seven masks were collected just three years later and they look a little different.

Here is another ape.