r/ArtefactPorn

Traditionally, they were made of animal or sometimes human skin and bones, but the surviving ones we have today were made of materials like wood and ivory in the late 1800s to be preserved.

This is a Maya burial mask made during the Classic Period (around 550–950 AD). It’s completely made out of small pieces of jade mosaic, and the eyes are inlayed with shell and some kind of dark stone. Those two round pieces on the sides are matching earspools (basically large earrings).

What was it used for?

In Maya culture, jade was like the most precious material available, even more valuable than gold. It symbolized water, fertility, and life.

These masks were custom made for elite royals and rulers. When they died, the mask was placed directly over the kings face before burial. The idea was that the jade would preserve the rulers soul, give them a divine look, and protect them while traveling through the underworld into the afterlife.

The back is embroidered with a Cyrillic version of Psalm 33:22 ("Let thy mercy, O Lord, be upon us...") used in Greek rite liturgies. While its initial day-to-day use remains unconfirmed, it likely served to house sacred Christian relics, potentially belonging to the canonized King Stephen after his exhumation in 1083.