About the Object

Like another Colima mask in this collection originating from western Mexico, this particular stone mask is quite rare and may have been a treasured object; except in Guerrero, west Mexican pre-colonial artisans usually worked more in the medium of ceramics than in stone. The green color may demonstrate trade links and cultural interaction with central Mexico, and the object is most notable for its smooth surface, along with the mask’s small and close-set human features.

Additional Information

The Colima tradition, named for the Mexican state for which it was first studied, is closely related to pre-colonial west cultures found across the modern Mexican states of Nayarit and Jalisco. These regions are believed to have developed some distinct features from other areas of Mesoamerica especially centering around death and distinct shaft tomb burials.