Description
Luminous Demon
This carved tribal mask’s design corresponds to the traditional diablo mask-type used by the Brunka in the Danza de los Diablitos with surface painting reminiscent of skin and scales patterns of local fauna, shamanic “power lines” and petroglyph designs. This is a carved and painted balsa wood mask, one that would be strapped onto the participant’s head to represent a defending ancestral warrior (kagbru in the Brunka language, diablito in Spanish). As beautifully carved and painted, with exacting detail as such as this mask is, it is created to be worn during this 3 day tribal event and the mask makers know that their artful piece could be badly damaged, or even split as the juego/danza can get very rough while the diablitos “battle” the bull (representing the foreign European invaders).
The tribal Brunka carvers of these traditional mask’s stun the ‘outside’ world with their mystic compositions and meticulously carved and painted details – a material culture without par in Central America. This mask is an exceptional piece for decorative wall art.
- Tribe: Brunka (Boruca)
- Size: 10 1/2″ x 18 1/2″
- Artist: Roy Lazaro M.
