Vintage Guatemalan Tapir Mask | Instinct & Nature
Vintage Guatemalan Tapir Mask | Instinct & Nature
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Eligible contiguous U.S. orders of $75+ receive complimentary USPS Priority Mail shipping.
In Guatemala’s Baile de los Animales, the animal world becomes a cast of characters reflecting humor, disorder, instinct, and the relationship between people and nature. This vintage tapir mask by the AJ Canil Family carries that tradition through one of Central America’s most distinctive native animals.
Hand-carved in Chichicastenango and painted with a black ground, yellow dots, white muzzle, and red-rimmed eyes, the mask is defined by its long snout and direct expression. Surface wear, paint loss, and patina remain visible, preserving the character of a mid-20th-century piece rather than disguising its age.
Details
Details
- Artist: AJ Canil Family
- Origin: Chichicastenango, Quiché Highlands, Guatemala
- Material: Hand-carved wood with polychrome paint
- Date: Estimated mid-20th century, approximately 1940s–1970s
- Condition: Vintage surface wear, paint loss, and patina
- Symbolism: Instinct, the animal world, and connection between people and nature
- Availability: One available
Some symbols are about protection. Others remind us that instinct and the natural world still have a place in the rooms we build around ourselves.
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