Aztec Xiuhtecuhtli Mask

This turquoise mosaic mask likely represents Xiuhtecuhtli, the Aztec god of fire and time. Created around 1500 CE, the cedar wood mask is covered with turquoise tesserae, with eyes made of mother-of-pearl and teeth of white conch shell. The serene expression and blue coloring associate it with fire's symbolic power and the passage of time.

Aztec craftsmen created such masks for ritual use, either worn by priests impersonating deities or placed on sacred bundles representing the gods. The turquoise's blue-green color held deep symbolic meaning, associated with both sky and fire. This mask was likely among objects taken to Europe shortly after the Spanish conquest.

The mask is at the British Museum.