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HOME :
Pre-Columbian Art :
Skull Masks and Sculptures : Guanacaste-Nicoya Terracotta Skull Mask
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Guanacaste-Nicoya Terracotta Skull Mask - PF.3779
Origin: Guanacaste, Nicoya, Costa Rica
Circa: 1
AD
to 500
AD
Dimensions:
8" (20.3cm) high
Collection: Pre-Columbian
Medium: Terracotta
Location: United States
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| Description |
In its simple form, this mask shows a more
gruesome side to the art found in ancient times.
Sculpted well, this sculpted skull was used as a
death or funerary mask. Around the edge of the
mask are small perforations that would suggest
that the mask was at one point attached or sewn
onto something such as a large effigy or a
funerary bundle that is more likely. The
predominant part of this mask is the mouth with
its angular teeth accentuated by the brown resin
outlining the mouth. The high cheekbone and
the raised bone around the eye all suggest
realism in the design, making us aware of death
itself.
- (PF.3779)
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