TITLE: Diablo Mask
TYPE: face mask
GENERAL REGION: Latin America
COUNTRY: Ecuador
SUBREGION: Otavalo
ETHNICITY: Mestizo
DESCRIPTION: Blue Diablo (Devil) Mask
CATALOG ID: LAEC002
MAKER: Unknown maker in Otavalo
CEREMONY: Diablada (Devil Dance) of Pillaro
AGE: 1980s
MAIN MATERIAL: wood
OTHER MATERIALS: paint
The Diablada (Devil Dance) is a rebellious and energetic festival held annually from January 1st to January 6th (Three King’s Day) in Píllaro, Ecuador. The festival is pre-Christian, originating in Incan celebrations of the protector god Tío Supay. When Catholic missionaries arrived from Spain, they tried to suppress worship of Tío Supay and associate him with the Christian devil. Indigenous communities eventually adopted a devil mask to mock Catholic priests and rebel against Spanish oppression.
The parade features a distinct cast of masked characters:
- The Devils (Diablos): The main attraction. Participants wear elaborate red outfits, dark cloaks, and massive, frightening handmade masks crafted from wood or, more recently, paper mâché, complete with real animal horns and fangs.
- Line Dancers (Bailarines de Línea): Dancers wearing elegant, formal colonial clothing and fine wire mesh masks to satirize the wealthy European aristocracy.
- The Guarichas and Capariches: Comedic characters, including traditional street sweepers and men dressed as provocative women with wire mesh masks, who clear the parade route and tease the spectators.
