Olmec Jade Mask

This Olmec jade mask displays the serene, idealized features characteristic of Olmec jade working at its finest. Created around 900 BCE, the translucent green jadeite mask shows a human face with the slightly feline characteristics often seen in Olmec art. The heavy-lidded eyes and downturned mouth may represent a trance state or connection to supernatural powers.

Jade held supreme value for Mesoamerican peoples, surpassing gold in prestige. The Olmec obtained jadeite from distant sources in Guatemala and worked it using only stone tools, sand, and water. Such masks may have covered the faces of elite burials or been worn during ceremonies. The labor required to create them indicates high-status ownership.

This mask is at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.