Mexican Art Mayan Masked Abalone Mother of Pearl In-laid

Description

Mayan Death masks on blackonyx stone stands. Mosaic patterns of blues and greens of Jade stone, Mother ofPearl shell, and other precious stones. Measures approx. 8.0" high and 6.5"wide.
Mayan masks had awide variety of uses, and the importance of the masks dictated how intricatethe designs on various masks were. The most sacred Mayan masks featured complexand delicate mosaics made out of jade and turquoise.
Some of the mostcomplex masks were used to adorn the faces of the dead and thus some bodieswhich were excavated from the tombs were found wearing one of the mostintricate masks.
The funeral masksprotected them while descending into the underworld "Xibalba" inorder to defeat the gods of death and to be able to ascend as the Mayan"God of the Corn". Mayan masks used in funerary rituals and thosemade of stucco are full of Mayan glyphs and Mayan symbols that reveal therelation that Mayans had, and still have, with the supernatural realm. Mayanmasks were created to represent deities like the god Chak who controlled rain,but there were also masks designed to portray the visages of more earthlybeings.