Mexican Carved Medusa Mask

Fairly common object? For sale on Ebay #262307540292

 

Can you actually SEE wood under that flaking paint?? 'Cuz to me in the pictures it kind of nearly looks either plaster or cement......IMHO.....from what I'm seeing......

You also might want to crop out that "dead, gray" space & the bottom of the table in those couple of pictures.....lets us zone in on what we need to see better!

 

http://www.busaccagallery.com/catalog.php?catid=172&itemid=4728
I have seen these... hmmm...
Not much more info...
As a resident Mexican... sorry!
Good luck!

 

it's creepy as all get out, but I don't think it was made to wear.....so...a tourist item, of decent quality.....& may have some age.

 

IMO it is an unique piece of folk art, whether it was made to sell or to wear. For me that puts it above the usual mass-produced tourist souvenir item. Age is another matter, no idea except that if it was worn in ceremonies, it doesn't show it. To me it is a pretty neat, unusual wall decoration whatever the precise history or lack of it.

 

Photograph it on a plain, white sheet instead of wooden table as Aquitaine said. Also, Medusa was a woman and this guy has a beard so I wouldn't call it Medusa in listings. Folk art from South America maybe?

 

Oh, I just realized you said it was listed by someone else. I wouldn't buy it unless I had more answers and knew I could resell it at a profit.

 

Agreeing with Bev.........

 

Mario, the EBay item is yours, right?

 

Well, I always like to try to contribute...

http://www.californiaherps.com/films/grouppages/peoplewhochangeintosnakes.html
From the movie "The 7 Faces of Dr. Lau"





And then, there's still this one... old carved Mexican mask...
They're asking $395 for it.

http://www.busaccagallery.com/catalog.php?catid=172&itemid=4728#

 

It would not surprise me if those two masks were from the same hand !

Nice find Gila...

 

Thank you, Professor!!!

 

One odd thing is that there is a single hole in the top of the forehead, presumably for hanging it on the wall.....that kind of hanging method with a single loop is pretty specific to Guatemala in my limited experience. The eyes also remind me of Guatemalan masks I've seen.
But I freely admit my knowledge of Guatemalan masks comes solely from researching ones that were mis-identified as being Northwest Coast Native.

 

Maybe it is a medusa from India(with a dot on a forehead)