This mask touches and exhilarates centers of
life beyond our present reality. It serves as a
means of transforming the ordinary to the
extraordinary, the natural to the supernatural.
The mask has always been used as a ritual agent
of transformation in Mesoamerica. The ritual
wearer of this mask, the noble king, not only
represented the god; he was the god. He
manifested the life-force. Through that ritual
transformation joining the worlds of spirit and
nature, man and god fused in the zone of
mysterious transition marked by the mask itself.
This mask is the seat of the soul, where the outer
and inner worlds meet. We are left to ponder
over the mysteries of the universe hidden behind
this mask, and the awakened insights it has
brought to our own inner spirits. Somber and
dignified, this portrait mask depicts a noble king
of the Mayans. In his prime, he has the intense
look of a powerful ruler. This portrait reveals the
artist's excellent understanding of facial anatomy
and rivals Roman portraiture in its power and
accuracy. His strong features are set with the
dignity of his rank and responsibility. Mayan art
depicts ritual. The critical information
communicated is not who this is, but what he
did. This mask was the instrument in which
sacred power was accrued. The energy of this
powerful mask continues to radiate the
supernatural reality of the ancient and mystical
Mayans even today.
- (PF.3182)
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