Masks of Ancient Cultures

Aztec/Mixtec of Mexico

This mask was used by the Aztec and Mixtec civilizations from Mexico. The Aztec and Mixtec existed for about 200 years from the early 1300’s until the 1500’s when they were conquered by the Spanish. The mask was a tribute to either Quetzalcoatl, their creator god, or Tlaloc, their god of rain, water and fertility. Priests would wear the mask during religious ceremonies to honour the gods. The mask is made from a wooden base. On the wooden base are many glued on stones and gems. The Aztecs used different colours of stones and created snakes running along the face of the mask. The eyes are big circles and the teeth are made out of shells.

I feel this mask would capture the attention of the audience pretty well because it stands out. The mask was oversized and bright blue in colour so I think many people would have noticed the mask.

Mande-Bambara N’Tomo of Africa

This mask is from a civilization in Africa. The mask was used in ceremonies that celebrated boys transitioning into adults. It was worn by those boys. The mask is made of out of wood carved into an oval face with long horns sticking out on top. The nose is very large and long and the eyes and mouth are miniscule. The mask and horns are decorated with shells and glass beads.

This mask would have stood out a lot because it was massively oversized and have the longs horns on top. The mask also had many decorations making it even more noticeable.

South American Civilization

This mask was discovered in South America. The civilization used this mask on the faces of their mummies. The mask is supposed to represent the god of the sun and/or death. The mask is a round wooden disk with snake heads and tongues protruding from it. The eyes are humungous in ratio to the face and the nose is long and thin. There is also an unexplained head on top of the mask. The head seems to be wearing a similar mask like the mask itself. The mask was carved from a piece of wood. The nose may have been glued on.

I think the mask would have somewhat stood out. The size of the mask was smaller than a face and colour was about the same as their skin, making the mask blend in to the person. Only the rays sticking out from the edges catch some attention because they are irregular.