TITLE: Latvian Winter Mask
TYPE: face mask
GENERAL REGION: Europe
COUNTRY: Latvia
SUBREGION: N/A
ETHNICITY: Latvian
DESCRIPTION: ķekatas (budēļi)
CATALOG ID: N/A
MAKER: N/A
CEREMONY: Mārtini; Ziemassvētki; Užgavēnis
FUNCTION: Agriculture; Celebration; Entertainment; Protection/Purification
AGE: N/A
MAIN MATERIAL: wood
OTHER MATERIALS: N/A

Latvian masks are primarily worn at winter festivals such as Mārtini (early November), the Advent season before Ziemassvētki (Christmas), or Užgavēnis (Shrovetide) in towns such as Kurzeme, V idzeme, or Latgale. They are typically crudely made and represent animals, human characters such as beggars or shepherds, or mythological beings such as spirits, devils, or Death itself. The purpose of the masquerade is to frighten away evil winter spirits and bring blessings, good harvests, and protection of crops. The masqueraders frequently play a satirical role and violate social norms.

The Museum’s collection currently includes no representative example of any Latvian mask.