About the Object

This stone face mask was carved and polished from mottled pale green stone and depicts abstract facial features similar to what scholars call Sultepec-style masks. This mask also features a deeply drilled rounded mouth, flattened head, prominent and triangular nose, and indentations for eyes indicative of Mezcala-style influence. Face panels similar to this example were found associated with burials. Closely related to Chontal-style sculpture, Sultepec masks have typically been found in burial sites, leading most scholars to associate them with symbolism and beliefs connected to the afterlife.

 

Additional Information

A great deal remains unknown about Mezcala-Chontal-Sultepec traditions originating in what is now the Mexican state of Guerrero due to a lack of archaeological excavation and analysis. However, recent interest in such extraordinary abstract and new excavations are helping academics piece together greater knowledge about these remarkable traditions and their context within the broader Mesoamerican world.

[Throckmorton Fine Art, New York, NY];
The Jan T. and Marica Vilcek Collection, 2008-2010;
Gift to The Vilcek Foundation, 2010;

Tags
Chontal Mask Mezcala Mezcala-Chontal stone Sultepec
Share this page
LinkedIn

Related Objects

Mezcala Standing Figure

Unknown Unknown Artist
Small abstract stone carving of a standing human figure.

Chontal Standing Figure

Unknown Unknown Artist
A standing green stone figure with arms crossed and small, hollow facial features.

Mezcala Standing Figure

Unknown Unknown Artist
Small, abstract stone carving of a standing human figure with broad, pointed facial features and folded hands upon its round abdomen.

Mezcala-Chontal Standing Figure

Unknown Unknown Artist
Standing stone figure with pecked round eyes, humanistic facial features, and arms folded across the abdomen.

Mezcala-Chontal Standing Figure

1800-1200 BCE Unknown Artist
Small abstract stone figure with indented facial features features, a large pointed nose, and arms resting on its mid-section.

Mezcala Standing Figure

600-400 CE Unknown Artist
Abstract standing figure with no arms and indented features to represent facial features.

Mezcala-Chontal Standing Figure

1000 BCE-1000 CE Unknown Artist
Stone sculpture of an abstracted standing figure with carved facial features and arms at the torso.

Mezcala Standing Figure

600-400 BCE Unknown Artist
Abstract stone sculpture of a standing figure with indentations indicating facial features and arms at torso.

Mezcala-Chontal Mask

1800-1200 BCE Unknown Artist
A stone mask with indented facial features and inlaid shell to represent the eyes.

Mezcala Temple

200 BCE–500 CE Unknown Artist
Three dimensional temple sculpture with four revolving columns.

You may also be interested in

Iman Issa

Iman Issa receives the Vilcek Prize for Creative Promise in Fine Arts for exploring, through works of various media, difficult philosophical questions, such as the individual’s relationship to places, figures, and events that are collectively familiar, or the difference between experience and recognition.
Portrait of Iman Issa