This figurine modeled in clay depicts a man sitting in an oriental pose or in the lotus flower position. He holds in his hands a mask that has certain similarities to his face; therefore, it is most likely a burial mask. The character has a deformed skull with oblique tabular modeling that is even more prominent due to the long hair design and wrap covering his head. His hair is intertwined behind his head and rises up like a tower. The hair must have originally been plastered in blue although now some parts have lost their color.
Although the face is also quite badly deteriorated you can see the almond-shaped eyes which are typical of modeled skulls, and a goatee on his chin. On his right cheek scarifying is apparent in pop form, a knot design which is interpreted as "matting", the symbol of royal power.
The mask he holds in his hands also features signs of matting on the right cheek, and on the left cheek there is another undeciphered sign. It is adorned with ear-flaps covered by long jadeite plugs, a breastplate with hanging jadeite plates and wrist guards with long plates also made of jadeite. Jadeite was the most prestigious material of the Maya. Its shine and polishing was in relation to the shining elements boasted by their deities.
The character's dress is simple. A tucked wraparound skirt covers his legs to the knees and goes around his waist by means of a wide band of cloth tied at the back. In this band, and attached by cords knotted at the back, two masks hang on either side of his waist. As far as we know, from the Late Preclassic period (300 B. C. - 250 A. D. the Maya were depicted with the faces of their ancestors at the waist. Their ancestors had, and still have today, great importance and significance for their descendants. They were worshiped after their death and in many cases were invoked to request their assistance at significant events.
The third mask, the one the man carrier in his hands, is the most significant because it shows the portrait of the protagonist. The painted blue hair with curled tufts matches the long elaborately-styled hair of the protagonist, similar to the facial scarifying, which also matches the one displayed on the waist mask on the left side. This puts the protagonist in the highest level of Mayan social structure, and may be a high dignitary or ruler.
This begs the question, is it possible that such scarifying distinguished lineage or a line of succession? Although we are not certain of this, it is quite possible that this was indeed true, and what this figurine shows in essence, is the perpetuation of a lineage. Perhaps from a dynasty of royal lineage.'
This figurine modeled in clay depicts a man sitting in an oriental pose or in the lotus flower position. He holds in his hands a mask that has certain similarities to his face; therefore, it is most likely a burial mask. The character has a deformed skull with oblique tabular modeling that is even more prominent due to the long hair design and wrap covering his head. His hair is intertwined behind his head and rises up like a tower. The hair must have originally been plastered in blue although now some parts have lost their color.
