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Teotihuacan mask
Serpentine and obsidian, by Teotihuacan artist(s), c. AD 500
Templo Mayor, Mexico City
 

An example of a stone mask in full relief presents a standardised human-like face that is a common feature of the sculptural production associated with Teotihuacan, the great metropolis of Central Mexico. Carved from light green serpentine, a metamorphic stone, it is defined by a horizontally cut geometric brow, a sharply pointed triangular nose, and oval openings for the eyes and mouth, it conveys an idealised facial type that functions as a symbolic form rather than an individual likeness, aligning with the recurring, formulaic motifs characteristic of Teotihuacan art. The hollowed recesses with inlaid eyes and mouth introduce depth and accentuate the mask’s strongly frontal configuration.