Teotihuacan Stone Mask - PF.1377,Origin: Teotihuacan, Mexico,Circa: 100 BC to 300 AD,Dimensions: 6.25" (15.9cm) high,Collection: Pre-Columbian,Style: Teotihuacan,Medium: Stone. This exceptional mask is a supreme masterwork of the Teotihuacan group of the Mexico Basin, and dates to the first half of the first millennium AD. It is typical of the genre, with a gently pointed chin, a round-topped brow and curved cheeks. The structure of the face is deceptively simple, with finely arched brows, a long, slender nose and a slightly opened mouth. The contours of the face are perfectly positioned, executed and symmetrical. The eyes are raised-rim ovals, and detailing has been kept to a minimum, with drilled holes for the nostrils and ears. The entire face is a masterwork of contemplative serenity, which is made all the more remarkable if one considers the hardness of the stone and the basic array of tools and polishing techniques (usually involving sand and leather stropping) that were available at the time. In its time Teotihuacan was the largest city in the Americas and was of supreme importance in the evolution of contemporary and later states such as the Mayas, Aztecs and the Veracruz group. They were particularly known for their architecture, which included several of the most imposing structures ever built by humans until well into the 19th and 20th centuries. The founding of the city (which was actually named Puh, for “Place of Reeds” by the Maya) took place in 200 BC and may have been the work of the Nahua, Totonac or Otomi people, who built other large city structures throughout Mexico in the Late Formative period. About five centuries after its founding the city contained around 100,000 people and covered over eleven square miles.

Antiquities
Ancient Central America & Mexico