Lot 124, Auction 4/12/2026: Vintage Mexican Puebla Painted Wood Mask – Hormega

$650.00

In stock

Latin America, Mexico, Puebla, Nahua, ca. 1940 to 1980 CE. Vivid and theatrical, this carved wooden hormega mask presents a saturated red visage with a pronounced long nose, wide almond eyes and arched brows picked out in gold paint, a curled, gold-painted moustache, and a rounded, gold-painted chin boss that would flash under festival light. Fashioned from a single block of wood and finished in red and gold polychromy with black linework for lashes and beard stubble, the mask shows narrow eye slits for vision, a small suspension hole above the brow, and lateral perforations for ties, with scattered abrasions consistent with performance use. In the Danza de los Santiagueros, a drama recounting the triumphs of Santiago el Apostol over Pilato and his allies, the santiagueros often wear red masks with elongated noses and in some Puebla communities are specifically known as hormegas, a term of obscure origin; Santiago himself may appear on pseudo-horseback, while opposing pilatos wear contrasting visages. Size: 5.4″ L x 6.3″ W x 7.3″ H (13.7 cm x 16 cm x 18.5 cm)

Comparable Puebla and Nahua examples are held in museum collections and illustrated in surveys of Mexican mascaras; this mask was likely donned by a santiaguero during feast-day pageants and processions, embodying martial bravado and communal memory.

Condition: Scattered areas of old, inactive insect damage. A few minor nicks and small indentations as shown. Otherwise, intact and very nice with good pigments and rich patina.

Provenance: private collection of S. Saunders, Nogales Arizona, USA collection

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