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Bull Devil
Pastorela dance
Polychrome wood, rubber ball, cloth
mid 20th century
Guanajuato
Mexico

#handmade #wood #paint #mask #dancemask #mexicandancemask #mexico #guanajuato #bull #devil #pastoreladance #tradition #folk #art #folkart #mexicanfolkart #bulldevilmask #1950s #craft #mexicancraft
The Pastorela is a traditional Mexican theatrical performance, deeply tied to the holiday season, that blends religious narrative, music, dancing, and comedy. First introduced by Spanish missionaries in the 16th century to evangelize the indigenous populations, it tells the story of a group of shepherds on a pilgrimage to Bethlehem to witness the birth of Jesus. Following the conquest of Mexico by Cortez and his conquistadors, Roman Catholic missionaries arrived with the charge to convert the Indians to Christianity. Because these Indians had traditionally used masks, costumes, music, and dramatic performances to portray their gods and beliefs, it seemed obvious that such theatrical practices could be used to teach them about European religion, so plays that had long served to convey and reinforce Christian teachings in Spain and other European nations were adapted by the missionaries for use in New Spain. Of these, the most famous are La Pastorela (the Shepherd’s Play) and Los Moros y Cristianos (the drama of the Moors and Christians).
May 28, 2026 at 2:18 PM