Guatemala
Early 20th century
Mixed media including metal, paint, and antler
Height 12¾ in. (32.4 cm)
Provenance: Gordon Frost, Santa Barbara, California
La Danza de los Venados, the Deer Dance, is one of the most widely performed traditional dances of Guatemala and southern Mexico, with roots in pre-Columbian ritual and a syncretic character shaped by centuries of colonial and post-colonial practice. This mask represents the deer figure central to the dance, constructed with metal elements, painted geometric panels in red and green, and natural antler, combining craft and symbolic content in a form designed for active performance. The surface shows the wear and darkening consistent with extended ceremonial use over decades of dance.
The mixed-media construction reflects the regional workshop traditions associated with Guatemalan festival mask making, where metal, paint, and natural materials are combined to produce objects of visual complexity suited to public performance. Gordon Frost provenance from Santa Barbara connects the piece to California collecting of Latin American folk and ceremonial art. Dance masks with documented performance use and named collection provenance are seldom encountered in this condition.
We ship free anywhere in the world, fully insured, packed by hand.
Guatemala
Early 20th century
Mixed media including metal, paint, and antler
Height 12¾ in. (32.4 cm)
Provenance: Gordon Frost, Santa Barbara, California
La Danza de los Venados, the Deer Dance, is one of the most widely performed traditional dances of Guatemala and southern Mexico, with roots in pre-Columbian ritual and a syncretic character shaped by centuries of colonial and post-colonial practice. This mask represents the deer figure central to the dance, constructed with metal elements, painted geometric panels in red and green, and natural antler, combining craft and symbolic content in a form designed for active performance. The surface shows the wear and darkening consistent with extended ceremonial use over decades of dance.
The mixed-media construction reflects the regional workshop traditions associated with Guatemalan festival mask making, where metal, paint, and natural materials are combined to produce objects of visual complexity suited to public performance. Gordon Frost provenance from Santa Barbara connects the piece to California collecting of Latin American folk and ceremonial art. Dance masks with documented performance use and named collection provenance are seldom encountered in this condition.
We ship free anywhere in the world, fully insured, packed by hand.
