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- Title
Zur Rekonstruktion des verlorenen mexikanischen Türkisschädels aus dem Ethnologischen Museum, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin nach einem Aquarell aus dem 18. Jahrhundert und einer Beschreibung von 1888.
- Authors
SCHWARZ, HANSJÖRG
- Abstract
A Mexican skull mask, incrusted with turquoise mosaics, which has been acquired by the Ethnologisches Museum, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin from the Herzog Anton Ulrich-Museum in Brunswick in 1885, has been considered a cultural loss since World War II. As early as 1888, Max Uhle had published a detailed description of the skull mask (IV Ca 7160). Today we know of about seventeen skull masks from Mesoamerica incrusted with turquoise mosaics. Closest to the Berlin skull comes a mask in the British Museum (Am, St. 401). A comparison between the two suggests a different usage of both masks. This was confirmed by the accidental discovery of an 18th century water-colour representing the Berlin mask in the Brunswick Museum. The water colour shows that Uhle was right when he claimed the existence of an artificial nose which is absent on later depictions or photography. This nose depicts the Aztec date "4-tecpatl" ("four-flintknife"). Uhle's description combined with the water-colour provides us with a vivid impression of this exceptional piece which far exceeds the black-andwhite photo in the Ethnologisches Museum. The mask, however, is still missing.
- Subjects
CEREMONIAL masks; UHLE, Max, 1856-1944; ANTIQUITIES of indigenous peoples of Mexico; MIXTEC (Mexican people); AZTECS; ANTIQUITIES
- Publication
Baessler-Archiv, 2013, Vol 61, p29
- ISSN
0005-3856
- Publication type
Article