The exhibit, installed in the museum s Hall of History, is free with museum general admission. In the Indian culture of Mexico, a mask allows the wearer to transform from an ordinary being to a spiritual one. The ceremonial use of masks is an important link between pre-Hispanic history and the Spanish conquest of Mexico.
Mexican masks represent the blending of two cultures.
Ceremonies continue today in remote Indian villages of the Mexican Sierra, although impacts from outside influence raise concern that this tradition may be lost. Mexican masks have been found in excavations dated from circa 1000 B.C. and were probably used in a much earlier period. During the excavation of the Great Temple of the Aztec empire, many mask examples were found embedded in the temple structure. According to writings from the Conquest period, the masks were probably offerings to the gods. The Spanish conquered Mexico City in 1521 and brought their own culture, which also employed masks during many of their ceremonies.