Mask

Item number 2655/1 from the MOA: University of British Columbia.

Public

Item Records

This page shows all the information we have about this item. Both the institution that physically holds this item, and RRN members have contributed the knowledge on this page. You’re looking at the item record provided by the holding institution. If you scroll further down the page, you’ll see the information from RRN members, and can share your own knowledge too.

The RRN processes the information it receives from each institution to make it more readable and easier to search. If you’re doing in-depth research on this item, be sure to take a look at the Data Source tab to see the information exactly as it was provided by the institution.

These records are easy to share because each has a unique web address. You can copy and paste the location from your browser’s address bar into an email, word document, or chat message to share this item with others.

Data
Data Source

This information was automatically generated from data provided by MOA: University of British Columbia. It has been standardized to aid in finding and grouping information within the RRN. Accuracy and meaning should be verified from the Data Source tab.

Description

Dark red deer-like mask with red bushy hair and sideburns. Antlers are also dark red in colour and have two prongs each. The eyes are cut-out, are oval in shape and are close together. The top of the snout is long and wide and tapers to a rounded point. The mouth is open and has a thin tongue.

History Of Use

This would have been worn during the Cora Easter Week celebrations. Youths play the role of Judeos and they fashion their own papier-mâché masks. Under the command of their captains, they begin their hunt for Jesus Christ. After Christ’s death, the Judeos take over the village, fighting each other with wooden swords, dancing and threatening anyone who fails to acknowledge their authority. The usual order of the world is reversed; speech is replaced by babble, buffoons taunt onlookers and chaos ensues. With the resurrection of Christ, power reverts to the civil leaders and Judeos collapse in spasms, eventually washing the paint off their bodies and burning their masks as order is returned to the community.