Pre-Columbian alabaster stone mask, Sultepec, Mexico, 300-100 BC
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Pre-Columbian Sultepec stone mask, of convex shape, distinguished by the prominent aquiline nose and geometric mouth with barred teeth, with remnants of attachment holes at side of forehead. Late classic, 300-100 BC
| Condition | minor losses |
|---|---|
| Size | 10.5cm wide, 12cm high; total 26cm |
| References | Provenance: from an old Australian collection, Sydney This mask is a fine example of stone carving from the Late Formative or Late Preclassic period. Guerrero, the region from which the piece probably comes, is known for a wide variety of sculptural styles including Mezcala and Chontal. Ancient sculptors usually carved "tecalli," also called "alabaster" or aragonite, a calcium carbonate stone found in caves. Though few masks from any ancient American culture have been excavated archeologically, it is thought that they were probably tied to the funerary bundles of the nobility. As with many Sulpetec masks, the large aquiline nose dominates the face when viewed in profile, but the sublte modeleing of the cheeks and browline create a well-proportioned impression when viewed frontally. |
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