Folk Art: Masks

R9-01P

Richard Brommer

Masks from Ecuador

In Ecuador, artisans create special masks for holidays. They use clay molds to shape the masks with papier-mâché made from brown paper bags and newspaper glued together with paste made from yucca starch. When the mask is dry, the artisan gives it a base coat of white paint, paints it with a vivid design, and varnishes it.