The Art of The Boruca

 The remarkable and seemingly endless creativity displayed by the Boruca artists is inspiring as well as insightful regarding the their native cosmology and tribal history. 

Their masks attest to the rich biodiversity of the Southern Pacific zone of Costa Rica. They  bear witness to the deep-rooted and ancient culture of this tribal group whose ancestors were the famed pre-Hispanic gold workers and creators of the mysterious, and still unexplained stone spheres (Diquís/Gran Chiriquí culture 700 AD – European contact).

The different mask styles are:

•     traditional diablo masks (balsa wood or tropical cedar)
•     hybrid ‘ecological-diablo’ masks (balsa wood or tropical cedar)
•     highly elaborate and detailed ‘ecological/cultural masks’ (balsa wood or tropical cedar) 

Festival de Mascaras*

The Brunka (also known as the Boruca) tribe of the Southern Pacific region of Costa Rica are the protagonists of a unique,  centuries-old indigenous mask-making tradition centered around their annual celebration called the Danza or Juego de los Diablitos.   This tribal ceremony is of social-historic importance to the Brunka and has been faithfully celebrated for centuries – always at the end of the old year and the beginning of the new.  In this three day annual festival, held December 31 - January 2, the male participants of the tribe perform a ritual dance re-enacting the Spanish conquest.   The most important part of the costumes are the masks. With the mask, each member is empowered to fght and dispel the evil of the Spanish intruders who are represented by a mock bull. The festival masks use demon features which the
indigenous people adopted symbolically from the Spanish Catholics.

  

In these re-enactments, the Boruca triumphant over the Spanish. This victory
celebrates the identity and existence of the Boruca people against past enemies,
as well as current threats to their community and way of life. Especially, as
the modern world encroaches, indigenous people have struggled to find a
balance that retains their spirituality and harmony with nature. Their past and
their art demonstrate acknowledgment that they are part of the natural world.
Remembering who they are and where they come from serves to reinforce their
identity.
Coming from a society insulated from nature by industrial technology, we can learn a great deal by better understanding these cultures. Perhaps this knowledge can help us recognize our connections to the natural world.

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See more masks from the shop of Santos Lazaro 

* Special thanks to Galeria Namu and Galeria Coco Loco information sources