Colima Terracotta Mask - PF.1438,Origin: Western Mexico,Circa: 300 BC to 300 AD,Dimensions: 8.375" (21.3cm) high,Collection: Pre-Columbian,Style: Colima,Medium: Terracotta. Throughout history, great civilizations have adorned their important dead with masks. The pharaohs of Egypt, the kings of Myecenae, and the chieftain of ancient America were all buried wearing masks. Sometimes these preserved the appearance of life while in other cases they captured the spiritual essence of the deceased. Though the facial details of this clay mask are minimal, we feel the string presence of an individual here. We have no doubt that this funerary mask was created for an aristocrat, a person of strong personality and worldly rank. In the presence of this powerful effigy, we feel we know him intimately.

Antiquities
Ancient Central America & Mexico