Many Teotihuacán masks were once tied to something via holes on the back--perhaps a body-shaped form dressed in garments, ornaments, and a headdress that identified the figure. The stone masks’ eyes and mouths once held inlays representing irises, pupils, and teeth.

<i>The Gruener Collection of Pre-Columbian Art</i>. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (February 4-November 29, 1992).

The Gruener Collection of Pre-Columbian Art

<i>Teotihuacán: City of Water, City of Fire</i>. Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, de Young Museum, San Francisco, CA (September 30, 2017-February 11, 2018); Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Los Angeles, CA (March 25-September 3, 2018).

Teotihuacán: City of Water, City of Fire

A weathered stone mask features a mottled gray surface with white mineral patches. Horizontal slits form eyes beneath a carved brow line. A broad, rounded nose sits above an open mouth. Rectangular ears project from the sides, each containing a small hole. A single hole is drilled into the forehead. The sculpture's smooth yet aged texture and simple geometric features create a somber expression in natural stone.

(D’Arcy Galleries, New York, NY, 1960, sold to James C. and Florence C. Gruener)

James C. [1903-1990] and Florence C. [1908-1982] Gruener, Cleveland, OH, bequest to the Cleveland Museum of Art

Mask

Central Mexico, Teotihuacán style, Classic period

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Mask

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Mask

Central Mexico, Teotihuacán style, Classic period

Description

Mask

See Also

Visually Similar by AI

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