Negrito Mask- Mixe Region Sierra Oaxaca - Early 20th Cent.
Dance Mask
Anonymous Artisan
Ht. 8" x W. 5" x D. 5"
The Tusked Negrito Mask of Oaxaca is worn by masked buffoons who act as clowns, masters of ceremony, and policeman during dances and festivals in Zapotec and Mixe towns in the State of Oaxaca. Scholars suggest that the Negrito image may be a survival of some pre-Conquest tradition.