Fine Teotihuacan Tecali Mask Classic, ca. A.D. 450-650

with well modeled youthful lips and rounded high cheekbones, narrowed oval eyes and ears pierced for ornaments;  in translucent creamy white tecali, pierced at the temples for attachment.

Byron W. Knoblock
Mauricio and Emilia Lasansky, Iowa City, acquired from the above in the 1960's
By descent to the present owners

Overall excellent, old chip to back of PL ear, otherwise intact.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

The idealized stone masks of Teotihuacan are the permanent features of grand ceremonial rituals involving  dressed effigies of which the masks were the fixed element. Tecali masks were a smaller corpus, with the varying color, texture and translucency of the stone possibly selected for certain effigies or occassions. See Berrin and Pasztory (1993: cat. nos. 30-33 and cat. no. 28) for other tecali masks, and for the tecali mask with inlay eyes in the Dumbarton Oaks Collection.