The San Miguel Mask Museum

One of the most extraordinary places to visit in San Miguel is the Mask Museum.  It's owned by a mask collector and the host of a B&B and a former ad man.  Bill's wife, Heidi, is an artist and runs a studio where folk art is displayed and sold.  Bill has collected these masks over 26 years and has paid for each and every one, nearly a thousand.  Bill, during our tour, stressed he never bought masks that were expressly made for sale, only masks that had been used and retired from duty.  His oldest mask is estimated to be 200 years old and the remainder of the masks are around a hundred years old, give or take fifty.  The masks are almost all carved from wood, generally one piece.  Paint, pig bristles, feathers, sheep's fleece, horsehair, cow tails and other organic materials are incorporated as needed. Here's a link to the website; http://www.maskmuseumsma.com.  Visit it and the museum if you are within a thousand miles of San Miguel.  Now, without further ado, here are some photos.  Please understand, I have nothing intelligent to say about the masks, other than they are beautiful and fascinating.

 The groom.

 The bride.

 "Gotta see a dermatologist about this mole, but only after a visit to the dentist."

 Beautiful carving work and nicely painted.

   Bill wouldn't allow photos of the actual masks in the museum itself, but all of the others were fair game, and I might;t add, for sale.