A Rare Veracruz Head with Cutaway masks, Veracruz/possibly Puebla region, ca. A.D. 700-1200

the dramatic portrayal of youth, old age and death, with two masks cutaway revealing the inner smiling face, the aged face with wrinkled visage, and death with bulging eyes, covered overall in deep slightly specular red pigment with stripes of yellow and black, the central face adorned with a headband decorated with three small disks, and with a stiff arching crest above, the whole once attached to a large urn, hollowed at the back with remains of support walls.

Jay C. Leff Collection, (Sotheby Parke Bernet, October 11, 1975, lot 430, illus.)

Brooklyn Museum, 1966, no. 416, illus.

Allentown, 1972, no. 56, illus.

Huntington, 1974, no. 78, illus.

Excellent as shown, has been broken from a large urn or vessel, the back flange shows roughened edges and losses are as shown. The color and faces are intact as shown.
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This captivating portrayal of the life cycle relates to themes of duality and rebirth that are prevalent in ancient Mesoamerica. The cutaway mask device evokes imagery such as the "shared face" figurines of Preclassic Valley of Mexico, the life/death split images on Classic pottery from Oaxaca and the Veracruz and Huastec regions; also with the X-ray style masks as seen on Maya pottery. This face probably attached to a brazier or incensario, as seen on Oaxacan incensarios, see Paddock (1970:124, fig. 80, also fig. 228 and fig. 250. Easby (1966:93) cites the nearly identical mask published in 1962 by Rubín de la Borbolla.