View more of the Fowler Museum’s collection at: fowler.ucla.edu/collections

Unlike the masks we’ve been wearing during the coronavirus pandemic, the ones being showcased at the Fowler Museum at UCLA are striking works of art.

Part of the Fowler’s online collection, this mask of Tecún Umán (ca. 1500–1524) helps commemorate National Hispanic Heritage Month, which runs from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15.

One of the last rulers of the K’iche’Maya kingdom, Umán became Guatemala’s official national hero in 1960.

Made from wood, glass and paint in the mid-20th century by an unknown artist, this mask was probably used for a fiesta of dance and drama.