Vintage Guatemalan Mask-Glass Eyes

Just picked this up at the Thrift.It's 8 1/2" long by 7" wide.

 

It is a wall hanging rather than a mask, because it can't be worn as a mask. Like the glass eyes.
Maybe it represents the sun?

@2manybooks .

 

It looks cute! Is that the right word for this? -- It's the eyes.

 

here's a seller on Ebay trying to cover 'all bases' (re Dance & Wall)- "Vintage Painted Carved Wood Dance Mask with Glass Eyes, Guatemalan Folk Art Wall".I see it more as a wall-hanger.I've seen many similar ones online but so far nobody tells who the character is-def not a 'Conquest Mask' but it does have the mustache that originally represented Spanish Conquistadors & later morphed into being a humorous caricature of their Mexican neighbors to the north.

 

These masks portray Tecún Umán (ca. 1500–1524), "one of the last rulers of the independent K’iche’ Maya kingdom, remembered for his resistance against Spanish conquistadors. Umán was declared Guatemala’s official national hero in 1960" -


https://fowler.ucla.edu/product/x77-1096/

The glass eyes, mustaches, and at least one bird on the forehead are typical attributes.

Such masks are worn in the Dance of the Conquest -

"As its name suggests, the Dance of the Conquest has Hispanic Colonial origins. It references the death of Mayan king Tecun Uman, who died valiantly in battle while trying to protect his people. The other main character in the dance is Pedro Alvarado, the conqueror of Guatemala, and the finale of the dance references the Maya being converted to Christianity. At this point, the Maya and the Spanish dance together, forgetting their differences. The instruments accompanying the dance are the whistle, the chimirría flute and the drums."
https://theculturetrip.com/central-...onal-folk-dances-of-guatemala-you-should-know

As to the size, your mask does appear to have functional eye holes above the inset glass eyes. I believe some Guatemalan masks are worn over some type of padding, not directly over the face, which might allow them to be smaller. In the video of the Dance of the Conquest (link below), there are also child dancers wearing smaller versions of the adult masks -

 

Thanks so much 2Many-A wealth of info ! I notice some Guatemalan Masks have this 3 string over the head system-

 

popular for many types of masks..

 

9,000 yr old stone masks from Judea -