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The lack of expression and the standardized features of this mask make it purely Teotihuacan in style. It is unusual, however, in that it is not made of stone, but of baked clay, and also in that it includes other elements commonly found in painted depictions of masks but not in actual masks found so far, to wit: the "butterfly" nosepiece motif and the disc earflares. Nosepieces as emblems of power have a long history in Mesoamerica.
Terracotta mask Teotihuacan Early Classic (150-300 A.D.) Teotihuacan, State of Mexico Clay with red, black, yellow and white pigments N/A National Museum of Anthropology, Mexico. Photo © Jorge Pérez de Lara |
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