A Teotihuacan Mask Mexico, c. 200-400 AD Carved from a mottled black and gray hardstone with white veining...

Description

A Teotihuacan Mask
Mexico, c. 200–400 AD

Carved from a mottled black and gray hardstone with white veining, the mask is defined by a softly modeled, youthful face and an Olmecoid mouth with a raised upper lip framing a flat rectangular tooth. Deeply drilled holes at the corners of the mouth likely held inserted fangs, evoking the theme of transformation into a jaguar. For the Olmec, and for many later cultures of Mesoamerica, the jaguar was associated with supernatural power, rulership, fertility, rain, darkness, and the liminal realm between human and spirit forces. The eyes are set with black obsidian orbs, possibly original or replacements, and contribute to the mask's direct and focused gaze. Perforations at the top of the forehead, along the chin, and at the earlobes for attachment or mounting.

While firmly within the Teotihuacan sculptural tradition, the features reflect a clear inheritance of earlier Olmec forms that continued to circulate in the Valley of Mexico. Such direct synthesis of Olmec-derived imagery within a Teotihuacan context is uncommon. A rare instance of these two traditions meeting in a single work. In very good condition; minor erosion to the ears and reverse.

Provenance:
The Vilcek Foundation
Evelyn Rhoads Collection, 1950s-1990s
On loan to Princeton University Art Museum, 1970s

Width: 9 inches

Estimate: $20,000 - $30,000.

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