Mask representing the deity Yacateuctli
Location: Puebla (Mexico)
Dating: Late postclassic period (late 15th century - early 16th century)
Material / Technique: Wood, resin, cinnabar, lead white, turquoise mosaic tiles, malachite, lignite, Spondylus princeps, Spondylus calcifer, Strombus, mother-of-pearl, brass and glass
Collection / Inventory: Museum of Civilizations, Rome. INV. No. MPE 4214
Provenance: Nahuas culture (Puebla, Mexico). Probably brought to Bologna by the Dominican Domingo de Betanzos in 1533, the mask entered the collection of Antonio Giganti in the second half of the 16th century. Later, it passed into the collection of Ulisse Aldrovandi (ca. 1597-98), into that of the Istituto delle Scienze (1742) and into that of the Regia Università di Bologna (1803). Luigi Pigorini obtained it in exchange from the Museum of Antiquities of the Royal University of Bologna in 1878.
The informations contained in the captions are derived from historical documentation or cataloging and inventories that do not necessarily reflect complete or current knowledge on the part of the Museum of Civilizations.
The progressive revision of the collections database is ongoing and will be constantly updated based on the research conducted and by activating comparisons and collaborations with external parties as well, with particular attention to provenance studies.
