“What else is the life of mortals but a comedy in which actors dressed in costumes and masks play their respective roles until the stage director orders them to leave the stage.”
-Erasmus of Rotterdam in Praise of Folly
The most esteemed heretic understood that life was just a stage show where we should not take ourselves so seriously if we wanted to obtain some kind of pleasure from this journey. Each person plays a role at all times and that is why it is believed that we always wear masks, rarely revealing our true selves.
Like Erasmus, the indigenous cultures of our country understand the humor of life and that is why it is not uncommon for them to wear masks representing certain historical/religious events to commemorate these events with ritual dance.
And just as Mexicans are rich in our sense of humor, we are also rich in cultural diversity, with so many indigenous peoples that far exceed those we can meet in our lifetime.
Despite this, Bill LeVasseur has dedicated much of his life to collecting the masks of our peoples. It is his mission and obsession to bring to light these faces made of wood, leather, paper mache, skin and ceramics. He provides a direct link to the unknown Mexico to both locals and foreigners with his more than 650 pieces collected in the Mask Museum of San Miguel de Allende.
But these are not just any masks. It is said that the wearer of them is possessed by a transforming spirit that changes everything. Men transmute into women and vice versa, children become beasts and young people lose their vigor and move like soft old people. The metamorphosis of complementary opposites is complete.
For Bill, a mask has more personality when it is “well danced,” that is, when it has been through many ceremonial dances. He firmly believes that this type of mask absorbs the spirit of its rituals and possesses a greater degree of mysticism, an indescribable magic that they transmit just by looking at them. No one can take away what they have danced.
And although he has witnessed hundreds of dances, there is one in particular that accompanies the museum founder in his introspection: The poetic Dance of the Conquest. This elegant series of unbridled movements represents on one hand the conquistador Cortés and the members of his army; the Aztec faction led by Moctezuma is also brought to life on stage, emphasized by enormous masks with many precious feathers.
This is not just about dressing up, the personification and incarnation of one's own skin leads the dancers to a frenzy that does not end until they take off their mask and this type of spiritual surrender is what remains in the memory of the spectator.
If your gaze dares to fall upon these sacred artifacts, proceed to watch the video and if you still don't feel their magic, visit Bill's 3+ decades-old collection at the Mask Museum.
Address: Cuesta de San José #32, Colonia Azteca, just a 15-minute walk from the Historic Center or the Garden.
Visits to the museum are by appointment only. Please call before your visit.
Tel: 415-154-4324
Cell: 044-415-149-1563
E-mail: info@casadelacuesta.com
