jade masks
Mesoamerican burial adornments
Jade masks are ceremonial face coverings carved from jade, most associated with ancient Mesoamerican cultures like the Maya and Aztec.
These masks often covered the faces of deceased rulers or adorned religious artifacts, the green stone symbolizing life, fertility, and royal power.
The museum's collection includes several jade masks from Mayan tombs.
- Maya civilizationAncient Mesoamerican culture
- burial offeringsItems entombed with deceased
- greenstoneMetamorphosed rock, often jade
- artifactsHuman-made historical objects
- MesoamericaPre-Columbian Central American region
lapidary · polishing · rituals · motifs · pyramids · stelae · inlays · carving · ancient craftsmanship · tombs · spirit world · museum exhibits · geometric patterns · translucence · cosmology · funerary · temple · royal tombs