Note: It was with great sadness that we learned of the passing of Maestro Juan Horta on December 19, 2006. His legacy will live on in his magnificent creations and those of his children.

Juan Horta Castillo was one of the premier traditional mask makers in Mexico. He has exhibited his art throughout Mexico and the United States. His masks were selected by the Ballet Folklorico de Mexico and are featured in their world-wide perfomances. He is a multiple first prize winner in Mexico's National Mask Maker Competition and El Museo de la Mascara in San Luis Potosi, Mexico exhibits his masks as part of their permanent collection. Don Juan was also been a featured artist at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Rhode Island School of Design and many colleges, schools and cultural centers throughout the USA.

With nothing more than a machete and some crude chisels, Juan will transform a hunk of wood into an expressive work of art based on the tradition of his ancestors. During pre-Hispanic times the Aztecs used masks as part of their religious ceremonies. After the Spanish Conquest, Christian symbols and traditions were incorporated into the art of mask making.In the past,masks were worn in ritual dances and used by dancers to represent persons or animals. The dance's purpose was to tell a story in which the desired result was achieved through the magic of imitation and transformation. The majority of Juan's masks are from the Pastorelas Dance and used in his village of Tocuaro, Michoacan, every year.

This dance is celebrated with a group of players who take their perfomance through the streets of the village. The players represent: three devils with devil masks, Michael the Archangel, a hermit with a mask, shepherds and various townspeople with masks. The devils tempt the shepherds and in turn are confronted by the hermit and the angel. In the end, good triumphs over evil.

Mexican masks are usually made of wood, with leather, bone, and often with genuine hair and teeth. They may also be fashioned from other materials such as animal shells and tin. The masks can be painted, lacquered, or left in a natural state. The art of mask making demonstrates imagination, fantasy, and great decorative and creative talent.

Mexican maskmakers generally can be divided into three categories: the santero, the masquero, and the amateur carver. The santero specializes in creating figures for the Church. He usually carves realistic human characters employed in dances with Christian themes. Through Church connections he has access to fine materials and tools. His work is detailed often with moveable parts, and will finished. His masks are highly prized, in neighboring villages as well as his own, and are expensive to purchase.

The work of the masquero or professional maskmaker may more strongly reflect native traditions and dances. It is likely that the masquerero inherited the profession from his father and has had less formal training than the santero. He works with materials locally available and his pieces are more reasonably priced. Both he and the santero may rent masks to those who cannot afford to buy them.

Finally, dancers who cannot afford to buy or rent a mask must make their own. These masks are simply carved and painted and represent local tradition.

Masks vary is size from a few inches to over three feet; however, most are life-sized to fit over the face of the wearer. The majority of masks are carved of wood with zompantle or colorín, a light, soft wood, particularly popular. In some villages, wood must be cut at what is considered a proper time of year, or during a full or waning moon.

Occasionally masks are made of other materials, such as leather (pounded over a stone or wooden mold), clay, wax, gourd, and more rarely, wire mesh, silver, tin, or turtle shell. Today, there is also a movement by carvers towards the greater use of papier-mâché. Wood has become hard to obtain, and the molding of papier-mâché takes much less time than carving. These masks can be sold more cheaply to customers and are less durable, requiring that wearers frequently return for replacements.



After carving, with tools such as a machete, hand saw, knife, chisel, and gouge, the masks are smoothed with sandpaper and then brightly painted. Colored earth, minerals, or plants traditionally were used for the pigments, but today varnished enamel, aniline, and oil paints are more common. Additional materials are also used to embellish the masks, including glass eyes, human or animal teeth, wild boar bristles, horsehair, deer antlers, cow or goat horns, woolen tassels, bells, ribbons, tinfoil, leather, plant fiber, pochote tree spines, fur, armadillo hide, snakeskin, gourds, and animal claws.

Because masks are intended to be worn, certain practical requirements must be considered. The inner surface of the mask must be well-smoothed or covered with cloth for the comfort of the dancer. Breathing holes and eye holes also are added. Holes are often drilled at the sides and top or the mask for the attachment of wearing cords. Cords, made of leather, ixtle fiber from the maguey plant, straw, or cloth, are attached across the back and over the top of the head. Some masks, however, are simply held in front of the face with the hands.

In some areas, the masks themselves are believed to contain great power, and certain taboos often must be observed during their making and wearing. If these behavioral rules are broken, the masks may inflict severe punishment. Some masks are also believed able to move or blink their eyes on their own. Treasured older masks are frequently repaired with nails, metal strips, or glue, and are repainted many times to freshen their color.

We found our way into the little village of Tocuaro via a narrow rocky road strewn with volcanic rocks and remnants of cattle bones, in search of Don Juan Horta. When we finally found his home, to our dismay we were informed that it was the Día de la Candelaria and el Maestro Horta was out, busily preparing for the festivities. We met his son Orlando, a maestro in his own right, who graciously showed us some of that years' prize winning masks. We vowed that the next time we returned, we would be sure to leave time for viewing the village's festivities. Later that evening, another great artist, Maestro Martín Andrade Rodríguez of Patzcuaro explained the tradition of the holiday to us: Día de la Candelaria (Candlemas Day) celebrates the purification of the Virgin Mary and the presentation of Baby Jesus in the temple, marking the end of the Christmas celebration in Mexico. He explained that the Conquistadors had combined Candelmas with the original festival marked by the Purepechas, the indigenous peoples of the Michoacan region, throughout the months of January and February. They built great bonfires marking the beginning of the new year during Candelaria after ceremonially extinguishing the old fire that represented the old year, and contemplated the imminent approach of the spring solstice. We were struck with admiration for the grace and dedication with which the people of Mexico continue to keep the traditions of numerous ages and cultures alive and vibrant with their faithful attention to ritual and beauty.