Mexican Conquest Dance Mask: "Hernan Cortes"

This is a Mexican mask used in a conquest dance drama. It represents the Spanish conquistador Hernan Cortes, shown with his Christian cross. Cortex conquers the indigenous Aztec jaguar god. The single piece of wood was likely carved in Guerrero. The masked character of the Spanish conqueror Cortes is generally portrayed with abundant hair, including a mustache and beard.

The coming of the Spaniards in 1519 destroyed the existing government and religion. Spanish Christian missionaries incorporated the pre-Christian beliefs and rituals into some of the church-based ceremonies. Blending of the pre-Hispanic and Christian calendars and the mix of pre-Columbian deities with Christian saints provided a basis for new religious traditions.

Mexican masks being produced and used in dance and ritual today show this hybrid relationship, linking pre-Hispanic history and the Spanish conquest of Mexico.

This mask is used in a dance recounting the Spanish victory over the Indians and their eventual conversion to Christianity. These dances are called conquest dances, and Cortes often appears in them.

The people of Mexico have used masks since 3000 BC. Priests used masks to summon the power of deities and in the sacrifices of pre-Hispanic Mexico.

In Mexico, masks are used as part of the tradition of the village festival, honoring the patron saint of the town, and major Christian holidays. Participants fulfill religious vows by their involvement in the festival, while the dances educate as well as interpret and inform the community of shared values and concerns. The masks are part of scripted dance dramas involving music, song, fire and feasting, that could last for several days.

Source:
http://www.statemuseum.arizona.edu/exhibits/santosdiablos/info.shtml http://www.thecalifornian.com/article/20110917/LIFESTYLE/110915007/Hartnell-College-displays-Mexican-festival-mask-collection http://www.mexconnect.com/articles/1084-the-masks-of-mexico-part-2
https://www.mexican-folk-art-guide.com/Mexican-masks.html#.XDUua1xKiUk