The origins of mask-making in Puerto Rico. This document explores the rich ethnic heritage that exists in Puerto Rico's folkart.

1. Where does it come from?
The Afro-Caribbean Mask

2. Map of Africa
All along the west coast castles were built since pre- Columbian times which were used for commerce and later were turned into slavery posts by Europeans.

3. African Traditions and Customs
•Instruction includes community interaction. Chants are an important vehicle for the transmission of legends, puzzles, proverbs, songs about their history and enviroment.

4. In PR there is also an intimacy between the dancer and the drummer …
•The styles vary thruoutthe island: el holandes, sica, etc.
•The dancer indicates to the drummer the style in use and the sound changes in accordance.
•The name of the activity is Bombaand is said to be parts and pieces of an African legacy.
The Ayala Family in Loiza

5. BOMBA dancing

6. Carnaval Rio de la Plata in the township of Dorado
•The relationship of the mask with the audience is a vital part of the ritual. Many times it is the musicians with their drums that introduce this dynamic into the festivities.

7. Taino Map of Puerto Rico

8. The original inhabitants: Tainos
•These Cuban masks are made of bone, a material greatly used because of its ability to be carved.
•They were used as body ornaments that had spiritual meaning of twin but opposite forces.

9. Taino mask of the Dominican Republic
•The original inhabitants had a sacred relationship with their enviroment. These masks were made of various materials including clay. They represented spiritual entities and ancesters similar to the African customs.

10. Taino mask of Puerto Rico
•Stone sculptures were the preferred media used by the tainos. They made masks, adornments, axes, vessels, cemis, figurines, weights for fishing, belts for their games of batey, etc.

11. Today’s taino masks
•Artisan markets usually include the gourd as a prime material in making masks that imitates the taino cult to the birds, bats or reptiles. The gourd is also natural to tropical Africa.

12. Need is the mother of invention
•Africans related to the Taino vision of natural forces as well as the efficient used of their enviroment. Many taino customs were perpetuated by their African counterpart as in the use of gourds.

13. West African masks
•This Baule mask has hair incorporated into its textured design. It has no paint and is carefully carved very much like the first masks antropoligist Ricardo Alegria found in Loiza in 1948.

14. West African Masks
•Another very interesting trait found in these masks that was perpetuated in the Caribbean was the inclusion of horns. Many African animals that fed villages were honored in rituals.

15. The Tropical Climate of West Africa & the Caribbean

16. From generation to generation
•Mask-making gives a special status in the community.
•It is usually a family matter passed on from father to son.
•They represent dieities that fertilize, protect, give wisdom, values and other special attributes.

17. Mask-making in Puerto Rico
•We have made and used them since pre- Columbian times.
•The use of materials are varied and respond to the tropical climate.
•A favorite theme of our folklore.

18. Loiza was founded in 1645.
•Taino village that turned into a haven for Africans of Yoruba descent.
•Site of the Festival de Santiago Apostol in July 25th, 26th and 27th.
•The festival parade goes from the the old Parish Church to the shore of Mediania Alta.

19. One of the oldest festivals of PR. The festivities always include a pageant of the town’s beauties.

20. The Santiago Apostol is carried by three guardians responsible to its gender (male,female and child).
•Theplasterversionsareabundantinhouse-madealters. Howevertheonescarriedinthefestival,especiallyonthelastday,whichisreservedtohonorchildren,ismadeofwood.Itwassupposedtobefoundedbyahumblefishermanwhobroughtittohishome.Hiswifetoldhimtogetridofitandsomehowitmiracleouslyappearedagainathishome.Thepeopleputmetaltrinketsattachedtocoloredribbonsthatreflectmiraclestheyaskfor.Onlyselectedguardianscanhousethewoodenones.

21. Attendents carrying the santos. They stop along the way to honor different sub-themes.

22. Caballeros de Loiza are usually affluent citizens while vejigantes are talented everyday individuals, even the cloth is more expensive. Their masks are made of metal mesh like the Mascaras de Hatillo,celebrated during December 28th.

23. In the Festival de Máscaras de Hatillo there is also a mesh mask worn by all participants.

24. This festival is celebrated on the 28thof December rain, thunder or whatever!
Thepreparationforthesefestivalsbeginthedaythelastoneended.Inthisonejeepsareusedasmovablecaravansthatjumpupanddown. ThemesarevariedanddeviatealotfromtheoriginalbiblicalconceptofthescripturesofSt.Matthew.

25. Theafkan-likecostumeofthevejiganteofLoizaandPoncehassolidandboldcolorswithmixedpatterns.Whentheyopentheir“wings”theylookmoreimpressivelikeapeacock.
Siuko©’90

26. An important stop after honoring past guardians at the cementary: The Ayala compound

27. The mask is carved out of coconut. The horns come from the palm stems and can be as many as five or ten. The user has to accommodate foam on the inside in order to use it for 12 hrs ore more.
Pedro LaViera, a well-known mask-maker of Loiza.

28. The coconut was brought over during the early part of slavery traffic from Africa.
•ThisfacinatingplanthasprovidedPuertoRicanssincethe16thcenturywithmaterialtobuildtheirhomes(roof, wallsandstructure);furniture; multiplemedicineformulas;musicalinstrumentsanddeliciousfoods.

29. The “Festival de Máscaras de Ponce”is celebrated in February for an entire week.
Founded in the early 17thcentury, Ponce is also one of the oldest and most industrial southwestern costal towns of PR.

30. The vejigante of Ponce is noted for its animalistic features, small multiple dots and horns.

31. The town red and black town colors are in many elaborations.

32. Unlike other places, in the Caribbean the Indian and African origins came from arqueological practices in the 19thcentury.

33. Aprocess of elimination: Investigations such as the one by Ana Mirem Villamil will signal out that the aggressive animal characteristics of the Ponce mask is very unlike any Taino ones described in the cronicles of the Spaniards.
•TheirdotapplicationismuchliketheAfricanmasks.
•TheyarealsounlkeanySpanishcontributioninmask-making.
•Theyarealsocalled“diablos”inaccordancetotheircounterpartsintheCaribbean.

34. These masks in PR are usually related to the Catholic Church’s celebrations of Lent and harvest themes of particular towns.
•In the Caribbean however, like the “Máscaras de Yara”in Venezuela, the festivities extend themselves to
•The dance of Moors and Christians
•Dance of the Patron Saints
•Day of the Dead among others.