The very interesting mask of wood shown on pl. VII is in the
Prehistoric and Ethnographic Museum in Rome. It is one of the best
preserved pieces in Europe, and its history is known as far back as
1553. It was purchased for the Museum by Giglioli from Cosimo de Medici
for two and a half francs. It was first illustrated in colors by
Pigorini,[90] and our illustration is from a photograph just received
from Rome through the kindness of Dr. S. K. Lothrop. The specimen is
11 inches high and 5⅜ inches broad, being the tallest mosaic mask that
has thus far come to light. It represents a human face placed in what
appears to be the flat open jaws of a snake or an animal, a common
motive in Middle American art. The back of the mask is flat, and there
are ovate openings for the eyes. From the nose hangs an ornament of a
type familiar in central Mexico. Over the forehead appear what seem to
be raised twined bodies of serpents, and from the left of the upper
part of the face projects the plumed head of a serpent. We are unable
to say if the head of the other snake once projected from the opposite
side of the mask, but it seems impossible that the artist would have
made this elaborate piece so symmetrical. From Dr. Lothrop’s notes
it appears that the turquois around the sides is of a slightly faded
color, but the major portion is brilliant and glistening. The materials
used are turquois, pink shell, white shell, mother-of-pearl, jadeite
(for the facial lumps), and a dull-black stone. This remarkable piece
is a veritable work of art, and from the serpent motive we would class
it as a Quetzalcoatl mask.
[Illustration: PL. XXIII
SHIELD OF WOOD WITH MOSAIC DECORATION
MUSEUM OF THE AMERICAN INDIAN HEYE FOUNDATION, NEW YORK]
The other mask in Rome (pl. VIII) was illustrated as early as 1648.
This illustration, and the one published by Pigorini (fig. 15), are
front views. Our plate, from a photograph taken for Dr. Lothrop, is a
sideview presenting interesting features which are not revealed in the
illustrations hitherto published. The materials employed are turquois,
malachite, pink shell, white shell, mother-of-pearl, an unidentifiable
black stone, and garnet. The edges of the orbits and the protruding
tongue are painted red, while the fangs are painted white. On the side
of the face, below the right eye, is the head of an alligator, in the
neck of which is set a garnet. Attention is called also to the peculiar
nose and the curling tongue. A considerable portion of the mosaic is
lost. This mask is larger than the masks in London and New York, being
8⅝ inches high, with an extreme length, including the protruding
tongue, of 11 inches. Dr. Lothrop writes that in his description
Pigorini has done scant justice to this remarkable piece.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account