Description: |
Animals are very important in Mexican culture. It's believed that each human being has an animal guardian or soul companion, called a tona (or tono). Jaguars, known as "tigres" in Mexico, are very symbolic. The most revered and feared of animals, the tigre was the tona of the Aztec God Tezcatlipoca, a nocturnal, invisible God represented by an obsidian mirror. It was believed that he had the power to provide or withhold good fortune to humans. Their survival depended on his good will for he could make the harvest succeed or fail. Animal masks are often seen in dances, festivals and pageants in Mexico. This 1979 mask was worn by a dancer along with a costume painted like the skin of a jaguar. During a tigre dance, masked dancers perform meaningful stories to teach history and valuable lessons, as well as to make people laugh. |
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Source: |
http://www.digitalindy.org/cdm/ref/collection/tcm/id/910 |
Collection: |
The Children's Museum of Indianapolis |
Rights: | https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/; |
Copyright: |
Creative Commons (CC By-SA 3.0); |
Geography: |
Mexico |
Subjects: |
Mexico Mexico -- Social life and customs Masks Jaguar 1970s |
Further information on this record can be found at its source.