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What is the history behind Cara Grande feather mask, Tapirapé, Rio Tapirapé, Brazil?

Hi Elaine.

This mask was created by an artist of the Tapirapé peoples of Brazil out of wood, fiber, and feathers from tropical parrots and raptors. This type of mask is known as "cara grande," or "great face" in Portuguese. Such masks would have been worn during important ceremonies and community rituals. Brazilian featherworks from the Amazonian region are some of the most celebrated works from the 20th century in the Americas.

The mask is composed of a semi-circular element crowned by individual feathers from raptors and macaws radiating outward. The central portion is framed by arched wooden components bound by fiber. Three fields composed of mosaics of yellow and green feathers dominate the face of the mask, and a raised mosaic line of blue-green feathers runs down the center and divides the face in two. The stylized face is indicated by three cutouts – two for eyes and one for a mouth. These cutouts are decorated with white shells, representing eyelids and teeth. Twisted fibers dangle from below the eyes and are decorated with bunches of yellow and green feathers. A rod-like fibrous dangler protrudes from the central lower portion of the mask.

It is mentioned that these birds are being harvested for the use of their feathers, which is leading to their extinction. ‘Cara Grande’ masks consist of a wooden board, on which the coloured birds’ feathers are glued to create a large, stylized face. Formerly, the Tapirapé mainly used the blue and red feathers of the Ara parrot, yet for the detailed feather mosaic they also used feathers of other birds. These masks are more of an accessory than need and so is the use of feathers in hats. No doubts hats are useful in keeping us safe from different weather conditions like sun and snow but the use of feathers in them is merely as an accessory. Is it really important to accessories hats than to keep a part of our ecosystem from extinction? Birds like all other members of the ecosystem play very important roles like keeping insects in check, pollination and many more. The source of material we wear is important is important in determining if it will be useful as in keep us warm in winters or absorb sweat in summers but the source of accessory should not matter. These feathers and be easily duplicated with more sustainable item using thread and it is not important where a bird was killed to obtain these or not for the one who is wearing is but a life decision for the bird and for the ecosystem of which we are also a part of.