A cross on a mask like this may have been applied as a message to God, to the effect that the wearer is a Christian, although he is portraying an essentially malevolent underworld figure.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n The face of the mask has good patina from use.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n This mask is 7\u00be inches tall, 5\u00be inches wide, and 3 inches deep.<\/p>\n The back is moderately stained from use.<\/p>\n I bought the followng mask and the next from Jaled Muyaes and Estela Ogaz\u00f3n in 1997. Both were said to have been used in the Xantolos (Chantolos) Dance, in the Mexican State of Hidalgo.<\/p>\n I associate the use of a metal staple in place of a forehead hole for the strap to be\u00a0 attached as a trait from the Huasteca region- Hidalgo and Veracruz.<\/p>\n There is all this blood to suggest malevolence.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n This mask is 7\u00bc inches tall, 6\u00bc inches wide, and 2\u00bd inches deep.<\/p>\n The back of this mask has marked staining from use.<\/p>\n This next mask, from Papalotla, Municipio of Calnali, Hidalgo was also used in the Danza de los Xantolos.<\/p>\n There are old insect casings at the corners of the mouth, which I only noticed after taking this photo. I plan to remove them.<\/p>\n This is a remarkable skull mask.<\/p>\n There is an old repair at the chin.<\/p>\n This mask is 8\u00bd inches tall, 6\u00bd inches wide, and 3\u00be inches deep.<\/p>\n The number 2265 indicates that this mask was included in the 1991 Mexican Mask show in Mexico City, which was drawn from the collection of Jaled Muyaes and Estela Ogaz\u00f3n. Scratched on the back, over the right eye,\u00a0 is the place of collection- “Chantolo. Papalotla, Hgo.<\/p>\n I bought this next mask from Dinah Gaston in 2002. It came without provenance. I believe it is from the Huasteca but it could be from Guerrero.<\/p>\n This mask is remarkable because it is such an abstract representation of a skull. Such masks are highly unusual,<\/p>\n It has exaggerated painted eyelashes, and crosses on the cheeks.<\/p>\n There are prominent cheekbones.<\/p>\n Look how the chin has been polished by the dancer’s hand.<\/p>\n This mask is 8\u00bd inches tall, 6\u00bd inches wide, and 4\u00bd inches deep.<\/p>\n The back is darkly stained from use.<\/p>\n I purchased the last of these masks from Ren\u00e9 Bustamante in 1993. It was said to be from the El Nante region of Hidalgo.<\/p>\n Ren\u00e9’s tag refers to it as a “Xantolo\/ el Muerte?” I agree with that tag; this is a most unusual mask.<\/p>\n Looking at this photo and the next, note the rim around the face, as if the skin of the face has an outer and an inner layer. On an earlier post (see link ), I described a style of Xantolo mask that had such layers, and I referred to this style as an imitation of the appearance of an Aztec deity- Xipe Totec, who is also called “the flayed god.” But in those examples, the outer layer has openings that frame the skin of the eyes and mouth of a face behind the outer mask of human skin. In the present example, the outer layer frames the entire face. But also one could call this a Xantolo mask that has been provided with black rims around the eyes, as if to suggest that it was later meant to\u00a0 represent a skull.<\/p>\n https:\/\/mexicandancemasks.com\/?p=4824#more-4824<\/a><\/p>\n The chin has been chipped.<\/p>\n Probably a tuft of hair was once nailed to the chin to represent a beard.<\/p>\n This mask is 7 inches tall, 6\u00bd inches wide, and 4 inches deep.<\/p>\n The back of this mask has moderate staining from use.<\/p>\n Next week I have yet another omitted skull mask to show you, from the state of Mexico.<\/p>\n Bryan Stevens<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Last week I showed four Calavera (skull) masks from the Mexican State of Guerrero that I had intended to post about four years earlier, but I forgot. This week I am examining five Xantolo or Carnaval masks from Hidalgo and … Read More ![\"\"](\"https:\/\/mexicandancemasks.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/P1370260.png\")
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