Minneapolis Institute of Art

Mask

Maya artist

Date

19th century

Medium

Wood, pigment

Culture

Maya

Department

Arts of the Americas

Institution

Minneapolis Institute of Art

This mask represents Pedro de Alvarado, a Conquistador, and is used during the Dance of the Conquest that is performed in the Quiche region of Guatemala. In this dance, Alvarado and his soldiers battle with Tecun Uman, one of the last great Maya heroes. During the fight, the conquistador falls from a great wound inflicted by Tecun Uman, who thinks he has won and walks away, but Alvarado gets up and kills the Maya warrior before finally dying himself. The dance is accompanied by drums and whistles and the participants shout out the Quiche words of the ancient poem describing the conflict. Americas

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