Terena Indigenous Mask | Brazil

The Terena decorative mask, made by the Minas Gerais atelier Curral da Cor, takes the culture of this indigenous Brazilian ethnic group to interior decoration as a work of wall art. Located between the states of Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul and São Paulo, the Terena ethnic group - one of the most numerous indigenous populations in the country - uses painting and adornments as a form of body expression in traditional festivals and rituals, in which the figure of the shaman or “porangueiro” ( koixomuneti ) is highly valued. In this carved wooden mask, the artistic painting revisits the customs of the indigenous tribe as a way of valuing and disseminating the cultural memory of these peoples with such close contact with the population as a whole.