The occurrence of tortoiseshell on a pre-Hispanic Maya mosaic mask

• Autores: Jack Frazier, Reiko Ishihara-Brito
• Localización: Antiquity, ISSN 0003-598X, Vol. 86, Nº 333, 2012, págs. 825-837
• Idioma: inglés
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• Resumen

  • The Dumbarton Oaks Maya mosaic mask is shown to have included tortoiseshell on an earlobe�remarkable since this is the only demonstrated use of this material in pre-Hispanic Mesoamerica. The authors present diagnostic evidence for the presence of tortoiseshell, account for its absence in pre-Hispanic artefacts because of decay, and propose its use (in the mask) as being symbolic of the ocean.