Lot 797

Puerto Rican Papier-Mache Vejigante Mask - Multi-Horned Carnival

Previous image preload Next image preload
Back to catalog
Lot 797
image_0 image_1 image_2
Puerto Rican Papier-Mache Vejigante Mask - Multi-Horned Carnival
Puerto Rican Papier-Mache Vejigante Mask - Multi-Horned Carnival
image_0 image_1 image_2

Puerto Rican Papier-Mache Vejigante Mask - Multi-Horned Carnival

Estimate: $1,000 - $1,500

Current Bid: $500

(1 Bid)
by Artemis Fine Arts
July 30, 2026 8:00 AM MDT
Live Auction
686 S. Taylor Avenue
Suite 108
Louisville, CO, US 80027

Caribbean, Puerto Rico, ca. 1940–1990 CE. A ferocious carnival visage bristling with a crown of long, tapering horns, this large papier-mache vejigante mask is the demon of Puerto Rican festival tradition made flesh in pulp and paint. A cobalt ground swarms with confetti-like flecks of yellow, white, and black, while individual horns break into bands of pink, orange, green, red, and violet, each ridged like a stag's antler. Beneath cutout eyes rimmed in gold, a jutting snout opens to reveal jagged white fangs. Worn during Carnival, particularly the celebrated processions of Ponce, the vejigante embodies mischief and menace, a horned trickster who howls through the streets. Its deliberately fearsome countenance descends from a folkloric character meant to represent evil vanquished, now a jubilant emblem of island identity. Size: 29.3" W x 33" H x 14.8" D (74.4 cm W x 83.8 cm H x 37.6 cm D).

The vejigante is a folkloric figure central to Puerto Rican Carnival, its name a fusion of "vejiga" (bladder) and "gigante" (giant), recalling the old custom of striking revelers with inflated, painted cow bladders. The character traces to medieval Spain, where masked demons in the processions of St. James the Apostle symbolized the Moors defeated at the legendary Battle of Clavijo, and later personified the Devil in a moral drama of good against evil (Cervantes even names them in Don Quixote, 1615). Transplanted to Puerto Rico, the tradition absorbed African and Taino influences, the latter a people renowned for the making of zemi masks. Two regional styles predominate: Loiza favors masks carved from coconut, while Ponce, source of this example, is known for elaborately horned papier-mache. Contemporary artists increasingly read the vejigante as a figure of resistance to colonial power.

Provenance: private Las Vegas, Nevada, USA collection

SHIPPING: We coordinate worldwide shipping in-house through specialist international forwarders experienced with fine art and antiquities customs manifests. International buyers must confirm, prior to bidding, that their country's customs authority will accept the item. All duties, taxes, clearance fees, and any costs arising from customs delays, seizures, re-export, returns, or loss in transit are the buyer's sole responsibility. Artemis assumes no liability for items refused entry, detained, or lost after export. We cannot ship ancient items to their country of origin (Egyptian to Egypt, Greek to Greece, etc.).

PAYMENT EXCEPTION: For clients not previously established with Artemis, payment for all gold, precious metal, and gemstone lots must be made by bank wire transfer or certified bank check/money order, without exception.

Item # 203691

  • Condition: Intact and excellent with suspension hole on verso for display.

Accepted Forms of Payment:

American Express, Discover, MasterCard, Money Order / Cashiers Check, Personal Check, Visa, Wire Transfer

Shipping

Bidder Can Make Shipping Arrangements, Local Pick-Up, In-House Shipping

Artemis Fine Arts

You agree to pay a buyer’s premium, as outlined below, and any applicable taxes and shipping.
Buyer's Premium
$1 - $249,999:
35.00%
$250,000+:
35.00%

View full terms and conditions

Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $749 $25
$750 $1,499 $50
$1,500 $2,999 $100
$3,000 $7,499 $250
$7,500 $14,999 $500
$15,000 $29,999 $1,000
$30,000 $99,999 $5,000
$100,000 + $10,000