Funerary Mask of Calakmul

Title: Funerary Mask of Calakmul
Description: This funerary mask is in the form of a mosaic using jade, obsidian, and shell. It is unknown who the mask was for, but was likely intended for a ruler. The mask has fangs that represent those of snakes; it was believed they could travel through the different levels of the cosmos. This ability represented immortality, which could be transmitted to the person wearing it. The arched portion overhead symbolized the Sacred Mountain, the mythical place of creation, where man was made from maize.
Creator: unknown
Identifier: S.5678
Date: 660-750 CE
Type: mosaic (process)
Coverage: Calakmul; Campeche; Mexico
cultural context: Maya (culture or style); Mesoamerican
Medium: jade (rock); seashell; obsidian
Subject: Death mask; Maya art
height: 36.7 cm
width: 23 cm
depth: 8 cm
Rights
Rights Holder: Museo de Arquitectura Maya, Baluarte de la Soledad, Campeche, Mexico