Mask

This mask was created by an artist of the Tapirapé peoples of Brazil out of wood, fiber, and feathers from tropical parrots and raptors. This type of mask is known as "cara grande," or "great face" in Portuguese. The mask is composed of a semi-circular element crowned by individual feathers from raptors and macaws radiating outward. The central portion is framed by arched wooden components bound by fiber. Three fields composed of mosaics of yellow and green feathers dominate the face of the mask, and a raised mosaic line of blue-green feathers runs down the center and divides the face in two. The stylized face is indicated by three cutouts – two for eyes and one for a mouth. These cutouts are decorated with white shells, representing eyelids and teeth. Twisted fibers dangle from below the eyes and are decorated with bunches of yellow and green feathers. A rod-like fibrous dangler protrudes from the central lower portion of the mask.