Butterfly Mask - Wood.
Mask was sold to a second hand store in Toronto, Canada, by a South American male. Maker of the mask is unknown. I purchased the Mask thirty-five years ago, as I had previously lived in Africa and had begun to develop an interest in masks in general. Over the years this particular Mask became a totem of sorts in my family with the children being convinced that it was powerful and in a sense protected them. My wife and I concur, because regardless of its authenticity the artist who created it was skilled enough to create a life force out of matter, pretty much the same way Van Gogh did when he painted his self portrait. When one looks through the eyes of the mask the focus and clarity is similar to those of a Binoculars. One of the antenna has come loose and the other has broken in half. Fixable for someone who has skill to do the job. Minor chipping has occurred where the binder and colour has been removed and the wood exposed. Colour on the wings has faded.
Height 19.5" Width 22.25"
Secondhand Store
Yes
Hi Geoffrey,
Thank you for contacting Mearto with your appraisal inquiry.
There is a rich and deep tradition in Mexico - notably among the Nahua and Purépecha peoples - for large butterfly masks such as this, where they hold deep indigenous symbolism and are used in both seasonal rituals and dance traditions. They symbolize transformation and rebirth, fertility and agricultural renewal, fire and the sun, and the souls of the dead.
Among the Nahua (including the Aztecs), fallen warriors were believed to return as butterflies accompanying the sun. The butterfly was also associated with the deity Itzpapalotl, the “Obsidian Butterfly,” a powerful celestial figure.
In communities around Lake Pátzcuaro, dancers sometimes wear butterfly-inspired costumes during seasonal and religious festivals. These may reference the annual migration of the Monarch butterfly, which arrives in Michoacán around Día de Muertos — reinforcing the idea of returning souls.
The masks themselves are often hand-carved from copal or other local woods and painted in bold reds, yellows, blacks and whites, with large outstretched wings attached to a human or spirit face. Some masks - including yours - depict a human-butterfly hybrid with a devilish or supernatural face that reflects colonial-era blending of Indigenous and Catholic imagery.
When offered at auction, these typically sell between $400 and $600, regardless of age; based on your photos, this was probably made in the early 20th Century.
Based on the photos and information provided, and subject to examination, this is:
An antique Mexican carved and polychromed wood butterfly mask
early 20th Century
In the form of a hybrid horned bare-breasted female with butterfly wings and body, pierced eyeholes in her chest, hollow back.
Height: 19-1/2 inches; width: 22-1/4 inches
CONDITION: This appears to be in good age-appropriate condition
PROVENANCE: acquired in Canada in the 1990s
$400-600*
*represents a fair-market value for auction purposes; retail or asking price may vary.
Please let us know if you have additional items to appraise, or questions/concerns, and thank you again for using Mearto.
~ Delia
