Vintage Guatemalan Conquistador Mask | Colonial Memory
Vintage Guatemalan Conquistador Mask | Colonial Memory
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Not every mask was carved to invite something in. Some were carved to give history a face. In Guatemala’s Baile de la Conquista, the Spanish conquistador appears as a figure of colonial power and conflict within the story of the encounter between Indigenous Maya communities and Spanish invaders.
Hand-carved by an unknown workshop artisan in Chichicastenango, this mid-20th-century mask depicts a bearded Spanish figure with strong brows, mustache, open mouth, gold ground, red veining, black hair and beard, red lips, and inset glass eyes. Age wear, minor paint loss, and workshop patina remain visible.
Details
- Character: Spanish Conquistador
- Artist: Unknown workshop carver
- Origin: Chichicastenango, Quiché Highlands, Guatemala
- Material: Hand-carved wood with polychrome paint, gilt surface, and inset glass eyes
- Date: Estimated mid-20th century, approximately 1940s–1970s
- Condition: Vintage age wear, minor paint loss, and workshop patina
- Context: Associated with the Baile de la Conquista and narratives of Spanish colonial power
- Availability: One available
This is not a protection or good-luck symbol. Its power is different: remembrance, confrontation, and the preservation of a story communities have continued to perform.
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