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Researching the Mask of Malinaltepec

  • Jun 13
  • 4 min read

The Mask of Malinaltepec is a one-of-a-kind object, discovered by Mexican archaeologist Porfirio Aguirre on the 20th of August, 1921. 105 years later, its origins are still being debated, despite being found in Malinaltepec, Guerrero state, inside a ceramic pot covered by a funerary mound. Scholars believe it was created by the Teotihuacan culture. After that, it was carried on foot all the way to Mexico City to avoid any damage (Museo Nacional de Antropolgía ,n.d).


Since the beginning, the mask has been controversial; therefore, subjected to a variety of studies. The latest analysis of the object is explained in one of the chapters in the book, La Máscara de Malinaltepec, edited by Sofía Martínez del Campo Lanz (2010), which talks about non-invasive studies done in situ. Here, the researchers explain the methodology used to analyze was done in 2 phases. The first one was by using "imagining techniques to determine the heterogeneity, general characteristics of materials and any indication of restoration" (Ruvalcaba Sil et al., 2010). The second phase of this study was done by using multiple instrumental techniques that allowed to compare the results of each, so that the obtained information will have the required quantitative quality.

Ruvalcaba Sil et al. (2010) used Infrared Reflectography (IRR) to differentiate materials based on their reflectiveness, opacity and transparency. They were able to determine the material of tesserae as amazonita, sea shells, hematita, and clinochlore as the type of stone. These results suggest too that the components came from the southwest of the now known territory of the United States, where local cultures commercialized them. All this information led to the conclusion that, in fact, the mask of Malinaltepec is of Teotihuacan origin.


Esteban Cercos (2015) says the main purpose of the mask was part of mortuary practices. For pre-Hispanic cultures, specifically from the Classic and Post-classic periods, a dead mask was used to cover the face of the deceased and at the same time keep their individuality. Masks like the one found in Malinaltepec, in Teotihuacan style, were very well known and sought after.


Hermann Beyer one of the first to interpret the object in 1922. He argued that it was a representation of the goddess of water, Chalchitlicue. He based his theory on the fact that both have a staggered nariguera, and the symbol of water in the forehead was similar to the one found in the Mendocino codes. Sofía Martínez del Campo (2010) backs up this interpretation by agreeing that the staggered nariguera is a distinctive suggestion of Chalchiutlicue, other female deities, and women from noble houses.


Some scholars like Juan Palacios contradicted his colleague´s theory, saying the Chalchitlicue is always represented with her face painted yellow, clearly not the colour of the mask, also this goddess is never depicted with the symbol of water on her forehead.


Finally, Paul Schmidt Schoenberg (2014) said that one of the few certainties from the original finding reports is that the person in the ceramic pot was important. The symbol on the forehead, regarding its meaning, was the person´s name. And the nariguera indicated the relationship it had with the living, most likely representing somebody from the maternal side, meaning it could have been the mother or wife of an important noble.



Reflective critical analysis - creative writing


The first time I visited the National Museum of Anthropology in Mexico City wasn´t the first time I saw the Malinaltepec mask. Its imagery is a classic staple of Mexican culture; even if you don´t know its name or origin, you must have seen it at least in your school´s history book. I was drawn to it because it was so recognizable, like a memory of childhood. After reading the assignment brief, I went through my photos, looking at the museums I have visited. When I saw it again, its history came back to me like a déjà vu.


The story focuses on The Mask being confronted by the archaeologist's fictional granddaughter, Marina, the reporter, who plays a role of catalyzer for the protagonist to face all the repressed emotions. I played with the idea of a worn-out by fame protagonist who spirals into an identity crisis led by guilt. The storytelling was divided into three acts, showing the stages it went through: taken out of its original place, being studied to prove its authenticity and being an iconic piece of the museum.


The narrative takes place during the 100th anniversary of its discovery, using this as a set-up to unravel the factual history of the object and the fictional thoughts and feelings it might have bottled up all those years. I was inclined to write it in a script play format to allow more room for dialogues that reflected the despair of having your identity questioned, being misunderstood and yet still being put on a pedestal made of what they want out of you. The creative choice of having them written in this pseudo-poetic style to evoke the sentimental side more. I chose to use the contrasting idea of something made of stone to have all these emotional outbursts, a kind of allegory, saying that even when you are seen as enduring, feelings are not something we can escape




Ana Osuna Ruiz is currently a student on the MA Museum Studies programme at the University of Leicester. This research and reflection accompanies The Mask of Malinaltepec: 100 Years, which was submitted for our Museums and Knowledge module.


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