Miniature mask c. 1500

This miniature mask was crafted by the Tlatilco people, its form evoking primal themes of transformation and duality. Notice the swollen cheeks and the suggestion of a skull-like mouth, motifs that speak to life's ephemeral nature. The mask’s design, reminiscent of Janus, the Roman god of beginnings and transitions, embodies the threshold between life and death, past and future. Masks have always served as potent symbols across cultures, from the tragic masks of ancient Greek theatre, to the elaborate visages donned in shamanic rituals. They are an essential part of the human psyche and the need to represent or personify our fears and desires. In the cyclical return of such symbols, we witness not just artistic imitation, but a deep-seated psychological echo. As we stand before this mask, we confront our mortality. We see the ever-turning wheel of existence, where life and death dance in an eternal embrace.