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Elongated Mask Ornament
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art. Free to download, adapt and use — no permission needed.
About this work
Small masks made of precious media-especially greenstone, which Mesoamerican people valued above most other materials-likely served as elements of Olmec elite regalia. Such masks commonly depict human faces, although it is unclear whether the creature shown on this unusual example is human or supernatural. It may be a late work.
Cleveland Museum of Art’s own descriptionCredit lineElongated Mask Ornament, c. 900–300 BCE. Mesoamerica, Mexico, Olmec. Greenstone; overall: 13.8 cm (5 7/16 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. James B. Wadhams in memory of Miss Helen Humphreys, 1967.154
