Vintage MEXICAN Hormega Wooden Painted Dance Mask Folk Art Hinged Santiagueros

Description

Vintage MEXICAN Hormega Wooden Painted Dance Mask Folk Art Hinged
Provenance unknown
Measures 10.5 long x 5" wide
Please note there is some paint loss and a fracture in the wood on the far right side of cheek *see photos*
I am unsure of the name of the wood used but it is extremely light (the total weight of the mask is approx 6 ounces)
I believe the mask was used in this ceremony-
--> The
Danza de los Santiagueros
(Dance of the Saint James’s) is based on a mythical story of St. James the Apostle (
Santiago el Apostól
) exacting revenge on the enemies of Jesus, especially Pontius Pilate (
Pilato
, sometimes called
Rey Pilato
).  St. James may or may not wear a mask, but
Pilato
usually does.  Accompanying each side are their allies,
santiagueros
(not to be confused with St. James himself, who appears on pseudo-horseback, represented by a wooden horse figure tied around his waist) and
pilatos
(little Pontius Pilates) respectively.
The
santiagueros
wear red masks, and in some towns they have long noses and are called
hormegas
, a term with no known definition and whose origin is obscure.
Mask comes as is, as pictured