*Masque représentant un visage humain

It is rectangular in shape. The forehead is receding. The eyebrows, raised and slightly arched, meet at the birth of the nose. The almond-shaped eyes are hollow. The nose is straight. The cheekbones are round and prominent. The thin, raised lips are parted. The ears are oblong and protrude on each side. This mask is fascinating, with its clean and modern lines. Hanging holes have been placed on both sides of the forehead and at the bottom of each ear. Spotted green cipolin (marble). Good state of conservation Chontal - Guerrero - Mexico, 350 - 100 B.C. 12.3 x 14.2 x 4.5 cm Provenance: - Former Domenico Traversa collection, 1970 - Mermoz Gallery, 2011 Lot presented under the temporary importation regime The human figure is omnipresent in the Chontal culture. The number of statues and masks discovered reveals their importance. The masks were found in votive caches, near ceremonial centres, caves or dwellings. The religious dimension of this type of object, used during ceremonies, makes them receptacles of the human vital energy where the head becomes the seat of the conscience, of the soul, allowing communication with the ancestors and the gods.