Stone mask in the form of a wide, male face with
bulbous nose between wide-set eyes (missing inlay);
puffy eyelids and thick lips with circular cleft at either
side of lower lip; traces of incised glyphs over whole;
incised holes for attachment. The Olmec civilisation
was the first major civilisation of ancient
Mesoamerica, located in present day Veracruz and
Tabasco, Mexico and spanned from 1200-400 BC.
The arresting physiognomy displays similar
characteristics to the seventeen colossal heads
found
across four archaeological sites that form an integral
part of the Olmec artistic legacy. The thick upper lip
and attentive treatment of the supple flesh seen here
and on other contemporary masks epitomizes Olmec
notions of beauty. It is difficult to ascertain the
function of Olmec masks given extant examples were
found across a wide geographical area. It seems
unlikely they were worn by the living given the lack of
eye and nose holes. The attachments holes to the
temples suggest, more likely, it might have been used
as part of a costume, an adornment in sculpture or
part of a mummy bundle. Interestingly, the surface of
the stone tells us something about sculptural
techniques during the Middle Formative period –
1000-500 BC. Marks of drilling and irregular
scratching indicate the mask was carved using only
stone abrasives, leather and friction. An interesting
piece that presents an aesthetic quite different to our
western perspective and continues to inspire many
modern Mexican artists. - (PF.4301)
- (PF.4301)
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