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| 'Diablada' dance mask |
| Quechua and Aymara |
| Plaster, cloth, wood, mirrors, light bulbs |
| Width 38 x height 35 x diameter 47 cm |
| c. 1955 |
| Area of Origin: Oruro, Bolivia |
| Sturgess, W.A. (Mr.) |
| Shreyas and Mina Ajmera Gallery of Africa, the Americas and Asia-Pacific |
| Gift of Mr. W.A. Sturgess |
| 975.142 | | ROM2007_8963_1 | | |
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Description: The Diablada, or Dance of the Devils, begins the forty-day run-up to Easter and portrays the story of a mortally wounded criminal forgiven by the Virgen del Socavon or de la Candelaria. Equally, the dance expresses the great hardship and danger of the local silver mine, where the devil embodies the life-giving but dangerous power of the inner earth. Miners dressed as diablos (devils) first appeared in the Oruro carnival in the 1790s. Today, leaders of the Diablada perform annually at the carnival in Oruro wearing the type of mask displayed here. |
Exhibit History: Shreyas and Mina Ajmera Gallery of Africa, the Americas and Asia-Pacific, April 2008-present |
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