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by Mildred Boyd
Today,
masks are worn mostly for the fun of Halloween parties or the profit of
robbing banks. In either case their purpose is simply to conceal the identity
of the wearer. The peoples of ancient cultures, however, believed that
masks were magical and that by donning one the wearer actually became
the god, demon or animal it represented and was, therefore, endowed with
all its powers of good or evil.
Masks of every conceivable non-perishable
material and varying sizes have been found all over Mexico. The earliest
we know of were made of clay but it is probable that others made of gourds
or even paper have not survived. Jade, as the symbol of life and the most
precious substance known, was often used for the most prestigious kings
and powerful gods. Masks were frequently laid over the faces or on the
chests of the dead. Though their actual purpose is obscure, at least one,
that found in the tomb of a Pakal, ruler of Palenque, seems to have been
a true portrait of the deceased. Smaller versions were often worn as ornaments,
usually pectorals, and over-sized ones were used as architectural decorations.
The Maya, who were especially worshipful of the Rain God, Chac, covered
one entire temple facade at Kabah with dozens of his long nosed images.
Paintings and sculptures often depict masked subjects and potters applied
them to vases and urns. Even one of the charming terra-cotta dogs from
Colima wears a human face.