Colima funerary mask

This is an oval burnished brown-ware terracotta face mask with stylized eyes, mouth, and large protruding thin nose. The surface of the mask has rather lustrous vertical burnishing marks which give it a smooth, even appearance. here are multiple small piercings, perhaps for attaching decoration at some point in the past. The Colima culture, part of the West Mexican shaft tomb tradition, is known today almost exclusively for its small clay figures that were placed inside of deep shaft tombs. In very rare instances, masks like this were also placed inside of tombs — interpreted by archaeologists as belonging to elites. These special objects were made of materials that had often been traded over long distances. These rare Colima masks are known for their round eyes and small mouths, as well as the T-shape created by raised eyebrows and nose.