Latin America, Southern Mexico, Northeastern Guerrero, ca. late 19th to early 20th century CE. An exceptional, handworked, silver repousse funerary mask depicting an expressive male visage with eye slits beneath the deeply set, open eyes, an impressively delineated wavy beard and mustache, an open mouth revealing teeth and tongue, pierced ears with suspended ornaments in the form of floral buds, and two animals, perhaps coatimundis facing one another upon the forehead, and wonderfully contoured, naturalistic facial planes with incised wrinkles or laugh lines. There are different theories about who actually wore such masks. Some scholars believe they were created to be placed upon the deceased individual during burial; others believe they were actually worn by living people who attended the funeral. Given that the back of the mask has a built-in chin rest and is covered with painted burlap to protect the wearer's face from sharp metal edges, one might side with the latter theory. A breathtaking piece presenting details so finely wrought with deep dimensional sculpting, this mask was clearly the handiwork of a master metalsmith who appreciated the hallmarks of the Spanish Colonial style. Size: 10.125" W x 12.5" H (25.7 cm x 31.8 cm)

Provenance: Ex-private New Mexico collection

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#116835

Perforation at top for suspension. Expected surface wear and tarnish. White mineral remains in crevices. Overall near choice!