REGION: Latin America
COUNTRY: Nicaragua
YEAR PRINTED: 1985
VALUE: 15 córdobas
This stamp was issued in 1985 by the government of Nicaragua to celebrate the country’s preeminent folk drama, the Güegüense. This early eighteenth century play is performed annually at the Festival of San Sebastián in the city of Diriamba and tells the story of an indigenous caudillo and his children outwitting the Spanish colonial authorities.
REGION: Latin America
COUNTRY: Nicaragua
YEAR PRINTED: 1992
VALUE: 7.50 córdobas
This stamp was issued in 1992 by the government of Nicaragua to celebrate the country’s folk art. This stamp depicts two masks from the Güegüense drama, a tradition performed annually at Festival of San Sebastián in the city of Diriamba.
TITLE: Macho Mask (child’s)
TYPE: face mask
GENERAL REGION: Latin America
COUNTRY: Nicaragua
ETHNICITY: Nahua
DESCRIPTION: Macho (Mule) Mask for Child
CATALOG ID: LANI001
MAKER: Unknown maker in Diriamba
CEREMONY: El Güegüense Dance Drama
AGE: 1970s
MAIN MATERIAL: wood
OTHER MATERIALS: gesso; paint
El Güegüense is a culturally important Nicaraguan play originating in seventeenth century Diriamba and written by an anonymous author. It was originally called Baile del Güegüence, ó Macho-Raton, translated literally as “The Dance of the Old Man, or Male Mouse.” The play, which is considered the first classic of Nicaraguan literature, ridicules greed, moral corruption, and the troubled relations between Spanish colonists, mestizos, and indigenous people. It is performed annually in Diriamba during the Feast of St. Sebastian, from January 17th to 27th.
As performed today, most characters wear masks and dance to the music of the native flute (pito), violin, guitar, and drum during the performance. Among the characters are several machos, or mules, sometimes numbering twelve or more. This mask represents one of the smaller mules and would have been played by a child.
For more on the Güegüense, see The Güegüence; A Comedy Ballet in the Nahua-Spanish Dialect of Nicaragua (Daniel G. Briton ed., 1883).
TITLE: Güegüense Mask
TYPE: face mask
GENERAL REGION: Latin America
COUNTRY: Nicaragua
ETHNICITY: Nahua
DESCRIPTION: Güegüense (Viejo) Mask
CATALOG ID: LANI004
MAKER: Unknown maker in Masaya
CEREMONY: El Güegüense Dance Drama
AGE: 1990s
MAIN MATERIAL: wood
OTHER MATERIALS: paint
El Güegüense is a culturally important Nicaraguan play originating in seventeenth century Diriamba and written by an anonymous author. It was originally called Baile del Güegüence, ó Macho-Raton, translated literally as “The Dance of the Old Man, or Male Mouse.” The play, which is considered the first classic of Nicaraguan literature, ridicules greed, moral corruption, and the troubled relations between Spanish colonists, mestizos, and indigenous people. It is performed annually in Diriamba during the Feast of St. Sebastian, from January 17th to 27th.
As performed today, most characters wear masks and dance to the music of the native flute (pito), violin, guitar, and drum during the performance. Among the characters are several machos, or mules, sometimes numbering twelve or more. This mask represents the Güegüense (old man, or viejo) who is the protagonist of the story.
For more on the Güegüense, see The Güegüence; A Comedy Ballet in the Nahua-Spanish Dialect of Nicaragua (Daniel G. Briton ed., 1883).
TITLE: Viejo Mask
TYPE: face mask
GENERAL REGION: Latin America
COUNTRY: Nicaragua
ETHNICITY: Nahua
DESCRIPTION: Viejo (old man) mask
CATALOG ID: LANI002
MAKER: Unknown
CEREMONY: Danza del Viejo y la Vieja
AGE: 1970s
MAIN MATERIAL: paper maché
OTHER MATERIALS: plaster; paint; string; wire mesh
One of the lesser known cultural traditions of Nicaragua is the Danza del Viejo y la Vieja (Dance of the Old Man and Woman), a two-person masked dance accompanied by a whistle, marimba, and drum. The dance is a parody of infidelity and hypocrisy. As the pair dances, the cane-wielding viejo flirts with the girls in the audience, and the vieja (usually played by a man) flirts with the boys. When each eventually realizes what the other is up to, they start arguing and beating each other.
