Stone mask at The British Museum, London

myminifactory

Masks carved from stones chosen for their visual appeal and symbolic significance were crafted with precision. Their geometric shapes reflect the principles expressed in Teotihuacan's public architecture. Masks varied greatly in size, ranging from small, portable objects to massive examples, with eyes and mouths once adorned with marine shell, turquoise, and polished iron pyrites. They were not designed for wear, but rather mounted on a wooden armature and dressed in elaborate costumes to represent deified ancestors and gods. Many have been discovered in temples and administrative buildings located along the central avenue of the city, the Street of the Dead. Some masks incorporate elements from earlier traditions. The Valley of Mexico lies within a vast mountain basin at an altitude of 2,000 meters. Here, Highland Formative communities settled in permanent lakeshore villages, adopted agriculture, and traded obsidian with neighboring regions. As the first millennium BC drew to a close, Teotihuacan grew to dominate the political, economic, and religious life of Mexico's central highlands. By AD 600, with over 100,000 inhabitants, it was the largest urban center in the Americas and the sixth most populous city in the world at that time. A three-mile-long ritual avenue spanned the city from north to south, flanked by plazas, palace compounds, and apartment complexes, all overshadowed by the imposing bulk of the Pyramid of the Sun. Residential quarters housed enclaves of foreign merchants and artisans from Veracruz and the Oaxaca Valley. In return, Teotihuacan sent its own trading and religious emissaries to distant sites such as Matacapan on the Gulf Coast and Kaminaljuyu and Tikal in Maya territory. This object is part of "Scan The World". Scan The World is a non-profit initiative introduced by MyMiniFactory, through which we are creating a digital archive of fully 3D printable sculptures, artworks, and landmarks from across the globe for public access. Scan The World is an open source, community effort; if you have interesting items around you and would like to contribute, email stw@myminifactory.com to learn how you can help. Scanned using photogrammetry (processed with Agisoft PhotoScan).