La mascara de Calakmul | The Mayan Mask of Calakmul
"La mascara de Calakmul." The ancient jade "Mask of Calakmul," considered a masterpiece of Mayan art, is 1 of a set of 10 masks discovered in 1984 next to the skeletal remains of Yuknoom Yich’aak K’ahk, the last warrior king of the Maya. Thought to have been made over 1,200 years ago, the mask is made up of 57 tiles of jade, two beads of obsidian, and a sea shell. For the Mayans, Jade was a symbol of vital breath, fertility and rebirth and possessed high religious and spiritual importance. The mask has been on a journey touring the world for 8 years on exhibition and has finally returned home to a museum in Campeche, Mexico (which is where I took this photo). Imagine all the remaining artifacts out there in the jungle that may never be uncovered.⠀