We had a goal in mind when we visited the Museo de las Americas in Old San Juan: to find a mask created by Miguel Caraballo, the legendary carnival maskmaker from Ponce. We had commissioned one of his gorgeous vejigante masks in 1995 and then again this past year. (A vejigante is a folkloric character in Puerto Rican festival celebrations, mainly seen during Carnival time.)
Caraballo, whose business has expanded to include his artisan son Miguel the 2nd and marketer grandson Miguel the 3rd, is a legend in the maskmaking world, with a mask in this museum as well as one in the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC.
The mask in the Smithsonian is not currently on display in the Museum of American History, but we found his mask high on a wall in the Museum of the Americas! We also found a lot of colorful, fantastical, fascinating art that captivated us for several hours.
The Museum of the Americas is a non-profit institution founded in 1992 to “offer a synoptic vision of the history and culture of the American continent, emphasizing Puerto Rico, through our exhibition programs and cultural activities.” It’s located near El Morro.
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