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The whole family
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My name is Andres Sandoval and, of course, I am Mexican.
I am in UK with my wife (Claudia) and my daughter (Andrea) since I am studying a PhD in Education in the University of Bath.
I have an scholarship to pay for my academic fees and some living expenses, but it is not enough!... so, we have found that offering Mexican stuff through eBay is an effective way to complete our income.
Besides, all of our products are bought and sold in a fair trade basis: all craftsmen and artists are paid a fair price for their goods and you can be sure you are purchaising at the best price on the web!
100% Satisfaction Guaranteed. If for any reason, you are not satisfied with your purchase, please contact us within 7 days and you may return the item and receive a full refund. No refund of shipping cost available.
As we have stock of all our products, your purchases will be shipped direct to you from U.K. within 24 hours of receiving payment.
Thanks for looking!
Mexican Wrestling Masks
Lucha libre is a Spanish phrase loosely translated into English as "free-style fighting", is a genre of professional wrestling developed in Mexico.
Masks have been used dating back to the mid-1930s. Masks are colorfully designed to evoke the images of animals, gods, ancient heroes, and other archetypes, whose identity the Luchador takes on during a performance. Virtually all wrestlers in Mexico will start their careers wearing masks, but almost all will eventually be unmasked before the end of their careers. Sometimes, a wrestler slated for retirement will be unmasked in his final bout or at the beginning of a final tour, signifying loss of identity as that character.
Some famous battles are based on the premise of Luchas de Apuestas (English: Matches with Wagers). The most iconic match is máscara contra máscara (English: mask versus mask), where two masked luchadores bet their masks, and the loser is unmasked by the winner and his real name is officially revealed. The older the luchador gets without being unmasked and the more times he successfully defends his mask, the higher his status.
During their careers, the masked luchadores will often be seen in public wearing their mask. In effect, the mask is synonymous with the luchador. El Santo (English: "The Saint"), Mexico's most famous and well loved luchador, kept his mask until after retirement, revealed his true identity only in old age, and was actually buried wearing his mask. The character had transcended the person.
Another well-known type of battle is máscara contra cabellera (English: mask versus hair), in which one masked wrestler and an unmasked one compete (usually the unmasked one has lost his mask to the masked one in a previous bout); if the masked luchador wins, the unmasked one has to shave his head (a further sign of humiliation). If the unmasked luchador is the winner, he keeps his hair and the loser is unmasked. For two unmasked wrestlers, there is cabellera contra cabellera, where the loser of the match has his head shaved.
History of Masks in Mexico
Mexico is known around the world for an infinite number of arts and crafts holding a deep relationship with ancient cultures and early Hispanic influences. Modern artists offer a variety of arts that combine the mystic ancient beliefs with today’s encountering needs and ideas. As a result, we can find unique and impressive works of art relating realistic and surrealistic features in one artistic language.
This is definitely the case with Mexican masks. Whether they are hand made from fabrics, ceramic, wood, paper mache materials or even semiprecious stones, these Masks from Mexico each have their own history and send a message to the world!
In ancient Hispanic times people used masks to imitate their gods, appearing as various natural wonders and exotic animals. Using masks, they worshipped their gods with chants, dances and other sacrificial rituals. Upon the arrival of the Spanish conquerors, masks were used in the same manner as continuity of the people’s beliefs.
However, masks started to become an artifact used by the natives to forget about the actual oppression they were going through, transforming them into imaginary, invincible warriors or powerful animals or beasts.
In the last century, Mexico has become a country which continues to encounter economic depression and poverty. In the last 50 years, masks have also been used as a way to reflect the population’s disagreement with political figures through satirical public plays.
Nowadays, the Zapatistas (Insurgent army struggling for indigenous autonomy) wear black ski-masks in order to promote their anonymity and egalitarianism. About the masks, the Sub-comandante Marcos (leader of the Zapatistas) says:
"Those in authority fear the mask for their power partly resides in identifying, stamping and cataloguing: in knowing who you are...our masks are not to conceal our identity but to reveal it...Today we shall give this resistance a face; for by putting on our masks we reveal our unity; and by raising our voices in the street together, we speak our anger at the facelessness of power..."
Thanks for viewing!
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