Benson Latin American CollectionRare Books and
Manuscripts
Inventory
Donald Cordry Collection Relating to Mexican Masks
Prepared by the Mexican Archives Project
November 1994
Introduction
The Donald Cordry Collection Relating to Mexican Masks was donated to the
Benson Latin American Collection in 1982 by Dorothy Mann Cordry. The
collection was described by the Benson's Mexican Archives Project in July
1994.
The collection contains three boxes of manuscript and galley proofs, 88
photographic prints, and 201 slides. Donald Cordry's publication,
Mexican Masks, published by the University of Texas Press in 1980,
was based upon the collection. The masks listed at the end of this
finding aid are held by the Institute of Latin American Studies and not
by the Benson Latin American Collection.
The suggested citation for the collection is "Donald Cordry Collection
Relating to Mexican Masks, 1931-1978, Benson Latin American Collection,
General Libraries, University of Texas at Austin."
Biographical Sketch
Artist; self-taught Mesoamerican scholar and ethnographer of the arts and
crafts of Indian Mexico. Born 1907 in Detroit, Michigan; died August 30,
1978 in Cuernavaca, Mexico. Cordry studied at the Minneapolis Institute
of Art, and later earned a reputation as an expert on puppets, which he
both created and collected. He began collecting artifacts and
information documenting Mexican Indian arts and crafts in 1931, on a trip
to Mexico. He formed professional associations with the Heye Foundation
(now the Museum of the American Indian), which sponsored further trips,
and with the Southwest Museum in Los Angeles, California. In 1941 Cordry
traveled to Oaxaca, Mexico, and in 1942 founded a crafts workshop there
to finance his expeditions to collect and record ethnographic data. He
later relocated to Mixcoac, in Mexico City, and Cuernavaca, but kept his
home in Mexico and pursued the documentation of its arts and crafts until
his death. Publications include: Mexican Indian Costumes (1968)
and Mexican Masks (c1980).
Scope and Contents Note
Manuscript, galley proofs, photographs, and slides relating to the
publication of Cordry's book, Mexican Masks, the result of his
work to preserve and record Mexican masks and their significance. The
original, edited manuscript comprises 455 typed pages and is accompanied
by galley proofs. Photographic material, made up of 88 black and white
photographs dating from 1931 to 1977, 201 color slides, and two
negatives, depicts ceremonial Mexican folk masks, mask makers, and people
wearing the masks. Most photographs are annotated. Assorted materials
consist of a 1945 broadside promoting the Feria Regional de Corpus in
Papantla, Veracruz, and a flat mask, "Tzotzil Zinacantan."
Container List
Series | Box No. |
Contents |
Manuscript and galley proofs of Mexican
Masks | 1 | Manuscript of Mexican Masks, pp.
1-362 |
| 2 | Manuscript of Mexican Masks,
pp. 363-455 |
| 3 | Galley proofs of Mexican
Masks |
Photographic material | 4 | Photographs
(62 black & white prints) |
| 5 | Photographs (26 mounted
prints) |
| 6 | Slides (201) and negatives
(2) |
Assorted material | 6 | Mask "Tzotzil
Zinacantan" |
| 6 | Fig. 304, "Feria Regional de
Corpus" |
For photo of Donald Cordry, see unnumbered slide, "foto by Doris Hayden,
1963" in plastic sheet containing only four slides (8-2, #30-4, #29-5,
and DC)
Inventory of Mexican Indian Dance Masks
from the Cordry Collection
(Institute of Latin American Studies)
Gift of: Mr. and Mrs. Duncan Boeckman, 5380
Nakoma Dr., Dallas, Texas 75209. |
October 26, 1981 |
Item | | Description |
1. | 137 | Tastoanes. Hag Mask. Coll.
Sra. M. Teresa Pomar. 1970. Leather and sisal fiber.
Jalisco-Guadalajara. Very old. |
2. | 78 | Santiago Horse. Nahua. Cotepec
de los Costales, Guerrero. Cordry, 1971. |
3. | 109 | Clowning Dance Procession.
Nahua Religion of Tajutla, Morelos. Old leather Mojinganga
Mask. |
4. | 142 | Yellow Tiger. Leather.
Zitala, Guerrero. |
5. | 100 | Viejos. Old man with moveable
jaw; Locos and Modes dance also. Cruz Grande, Guerrero and nearby
ranchos. |
6. | 26 | Locos. Light face with
mustache. Guerrero. |
7. | 108 | Monkey Hair Mask. Cholula,
Puebla. Carnival Mask. |
8. | 118 | Viejitos Dance. Old Man Face
Smiling. Michoacan, very old. Tarascan. |
9. | 145 | Red Devil Face, Popoluca
Acatepec, Guerrero. José Rodriguez, Carver. |
10. | 36 | Seven Sins Dance. Popoluca
Calpisaco, Guerrero. Devil Mask. José Rodriguez,
Carver. |
11. | 31 | Devil 3 Potenicas Nahua with
horns. Acapetlahuaya, Guerrero. |
12. | 129 | Large Color (bi-color) face,
Nahua. Tlacololeros. Apargo, Guerrero. |
13. | 106 | Actlatlahuco. Blue Green with
hair and mustache. State of Mexico. Rancheros Dance. Mask for an
Indian. |
14. | 114 | Vagueros (an Indian).
Actlatlahuco near Terrango. With B/R hair mustache. |
15. | 22 | Small Mixtec. S. Pedro, Sin
Hube, Oaxaca. |
16. | 20 | Tejerones Mask. Pinotepade,
Don Luis, Oaxaca, 1962. |
17. | 23 | Mixtec. San Juan, Colorado,
Oaxaca. Dance. Los Grimelos, Cordry, 1974. |
18. | 179 | Hermit Large Pastorela.
Nahoa, Cuetzloa, Guerrero. |
19. | 131 | Nahua Apongo, Guerrero. Los
Manulos. Blue Face. |
20. | 133 | Old Woman Face. Yellow Ochre
on Wood with Gesso. |
21. | 80 | Deer Head. Nahua; Atliaco,
Guerrero. Tecuare Dance. |
22. | 84 | Black Bull, Mixtec. Bajo
Jicayan. Dance of the Bull. Collected 1970, Cordry. |
23. | 97 | Nahua. Huitziltopoc, Guerrero.
Devil Dance (long Black Bird Face). |
Gift of: Dr. and Mrs. Sandor Burstein, 120
Seacliff Ave., San Francisco, California 94121. |
24. | | Yellow Bird Mask. Nahua; Ayutla,
Guerrero. Aztec Dance. Large Helmet-Knight style. |
Collection obtained by: Professor Gibbs
Milliken, Department of Art, TheUniversity of Texas, Austin,
Texas. |
Collection location: Institute of Latin
American Studies, The University of Texas, Austin, Texas. December 1,
1980. |
Acquisition Report, February 7,
1983. |
Gift of: Dorothy Mann Cordry, San Teronimo
#410, Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico. |
Item | Cordry Inventory
Number | Description |
1. | 67 | Devil Mask. Colotlipa.
Wood. |
2. | 63 | Orange and Black Horned Devil.
Huisotepec, State of Mexico. Wood. |
3. | 124 | Blue Face Chaniheula Mask.
Mixtec; Huazolotitlan, Oaxaca. Wood. |
4. | 68 | Horned Face with Blowing Mouth.
Nahua; Tlaquitlapa, Mexico. Wood. |
5. | 21 | Pink Face with Fur. Dance of
the Tejorones. Oaxaca. Fur and Wood. |
6. | 41 | Nahua Mask. Cuetzala, Mexico.
Wood. |
7. | 32 | Mask of Cortez from Margues
Dance. Nahua; Tlacotepec. |
8. | 172 | Dance of the Moors and
Christians. Nahua; Ocotlan, Guerrero. Wood. |
9. | 142 | Dance of the Tigres. Nahua;
Zitlala, Guerrero. Yellow Painted Leather and Fur. |
10. | 64 | Dance of the Espuelas (Spurs).
Nahua; Tlaquitlapa. Horn and Wood. |
11. | 115 | Dance of the Vaqueros. Green
Face with Horsehair Mustache. Nahua; Tlacotpec. Hair and
Wood. |
12. | 42 | Mask for Tenoxtle Dance.
Nahua; Guerrero. Wood. |
13. | 117 | Dance of the Vaqueros. Nahua;
San Francisco. Small Face with Blowing Mouth. Wood. |
14 | 146 | Rey Pilato (King Pilate) from
the Moors and Christians Dance. Nahua; San Martin Pachivia, Guerrero.
Tall Painted Wood Cylinder. |
15. | 56 | Bat Mask. San Franciso.
Wood. |
16. | 157 | Dance of the Rancheros.
Actlatlahuco, State of Mexico. Wood. |
17. | 148 | Bearded Face. Dance of the
Viejos. Nahua; Lahuistlan de la Sal, Guerrero. Wood. |
18. | 7 | Tarascan. State of Michoacan.
Old, ca.1831. Wood. |
19. | 39 | Nahua. Malijeca, Guerrero.
Made by José Rodriguez. Wood. |
20. | 72 | Rabbit Mask for the Devil
Dance. Nahua; Atlixtac, Guerrero. Wood. |
21. | 46 | Birdman Mask. Dance of the
Texoxtle. Nahua; Acatlan, Guerrero. Wood. |
22. | 70 | White Donkey Mask for Devil
Dance. Nahua; Xalpatlahuac, Guerrero. Wood. |
23. | 165 | Dance of the Moors and
Christians. Nahua; Guerrero. Wood. |
24. | 166 | Mojiganga Mask. Nahua;
Atlixtac, Guerrero. Wood. |
25 | 116 | Pascola Dance. Mayo. Navoja,
Sanora. White Horsehair and Wood. |
26. | 113 | Las Malinches Dance. Huave.
San Franciso del Mar, Oaxaca. Armadillo Shell and Javalina
Hair. |
27. | 121 | Small Pink Malincae Face.
Dance of the Viejos. Nahua; Apango, Guerrero. Wood. |
28. | 37 | Diablo Sapo Dance. Cuadrillita
de Metlatono, Guerrero. Nahua. Made by José Rodriguez.
Wood. |
29. | 103 | Dance of the Viejos.
Moveable Jaw with Two Teeth. Cruz Grande. Wood. |
30. | 81 | Sheep Mask. Nahua. Colotlipa,
Guerrero. Wood. |
31. | 51 | Multi-Face Mask. Quilinique
Dance. Nahua. Flesh and Red Color. Atenxoxola or Xiloxochican
Guerrero. Wood. |
32. | 173 | Dance of the Moors and
Christians. Tarascan. State of Michoacan. Wood. |
33. | 28 | Dance of the "Locos" (Crazy
People). Nahua; Cruz Grande, Guerrero. Wood. |
34. | 86 | Pig Mask with Tusks. Nahua;
Apanga, Guerrero. Wood and Ivory. |
35. | 11 | Laughing Man Face. Cuadrilla
Vaucho in Tlapa, Guerrero. Made by José Rodriguez, ca.
1950. |
36. | 93 | Black Animal Face. Nahua;
Xaxacualco, Guerrero. Wood. |
37. | 73 | Dog Mask for Tlacolorero Dance.
Nahua; Ayutla, Guerrero. Wood. |
38. | 135 | Serpent for Rain Ceremony.
Large Sculpture Worn Around Waist. Nahua; La Parota, Guerrero. Painted
Wood and Leather. |
39. | 29 | Mask for Santiago Dance.
Nahua; Tuliman, Guerrero. Wood. |
40. | 161 | Nahua. Aguacatitlan,
Guerrero. Wood. |
41. | 52 | Twin-Face Mask for the
Quilinique Dance. Nahua. Atenxoxola or Xiloxuchican, Guerrero.
Wood. |
42. | 66 | Mask for Lizard Dance. Nahua;
Guerrero. Blue Painted Wood with Lizard-Shaped Nose. |
43. | 104 | Dance of the Viejos. Nahua;
Copala, Guerrero. Wood. |
44. | 144 | Probably Lord of the Animal
Dance Helmet Mask. Nahua; Tuliman, Guerrero. Cylinder of Natural Wood
with White Pigment in Crevices. |
45. | no # | Free Standing Vulture Mask.
Polychrome Cylinder. Wood. No Data. Value Estimated. |
The following items are on loan from: Mrs.
Sandor Burstein, 120 Seacliff Ave., San Francisco, California 94121,
(415) 387-2978. |
1. | 17 | Dance of the Tejorones. Mixtec.
Painted Wood. |
2. | 169 | Dance of the Moors and
Christians. Nahua; Tlapelucala, Guerrero. Wood. |
3. | 162 | Dance of the Vaqueros. Face
with Movable Jaw. Nahua; Ixcatiopan. Wood. |
4. | 4 | Mixtec. Huazolotitlan, Oaxaca.
Wood. |
5. | 65 | Nahua. State of Jalisco.
Wood. |
| | Collection obtained by: Professor
Gibbs Milliken, Department of Art, The University of Texas, Austin,
Texas. |
| | Collection location: Institute of
Latin American Studies, The University of Texas, Austin, Texas. |
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