Wooden Boruca Mask from Costa Rica (Panther Mask 002)

Wooden Boruca Mask from Costa Rica (Panther Mask 002)

Regular price
$330.00
Sale price
$330.00

The history and traditions of Borucan masks began over 500 years ago, during  the Spanish Conquest. 'Diablito' masks, or little devil masks were  created and worn with the intent to scare the unwelcome invaders back to Spain.

The masks start out with a log of either balsa wood or cedar. After removing any bark, the log is cut a bit longer than the final length of the completed mask. This log is then cut vertically to produce two half round pieces, and the interior is hollowed out with a chisel and mallet. Next, the rounded front of the mask is hand sanded to a smooth surface and the design is sketched onto the wood. The artists now begin to remove the negative background area, slowly creating a high relief three dimensional face.