Jalisco Amulet in the Form of a Mask - PF.0882,Origin: Western Mexico,Circa: 300 BC to 300 AD,Dimensions: 2.75" (7.0cm) high x 2.125" (5.4cm) wide,Collection: Pre-Columbian,Style: Jalisco,Medium: Terracotta. Since the dawn of time, a powerful magic has been associated with masks. They transform the wearer into someone or something else and transcend the physical boundaries of life. This fascinating miniature example--with eyes pierced, as if to be worn over a tiny face--was probably used in the funerary rites of ancient Mexico. In many great cultures--the Egyptian, Mycenean, the Roman--masks played an important role in the transition between this world and the next. Even in an age that has forgotten such rituals, the power of this object is undeniable.

Antiquities
Ancient Central America & Mexico