Teotihuacan Stone Mask

Throughout the course of history, great civilizations have used the mask as a symbol of powerful magic. The gold masks of Mycenae, the mummy masks of Egypt, the wax ancestor portraits of Rome; all have tried to capture not just the likeness of important persons but their spirit. Teotihuacan was the greatest capital of ancient Mexico, a center of learning and the arts. Reviving the traditions of the earlier Olmec culture, the artists of Teotihuacan created stone masks of enduring beauty and mystery. Their ceremonial function is uncertain; it is not known if they represent mortals or gods. This splendid example depicts the human face with serene simplicity. To gaze upon this image is to feel the energy of an ancient culture at its peak. – (FF.551)