Mask

The Olmec are the first known civilization in Mesoamerica (which roughly spanned from present-day Mexico to El Salvador), based in what is now the southern part of Mexico. They made sophisticated sculptures using jadeite, a greenstone that is as rare and precious as it is difficult to carve. This mask probably alludes to an Olmec leader. It combines human features with the almond-shaped eyes and downturned lips that the Olmec used to evoke the jaguar, an animal revered by all the civilizations of the ancient Americas for its strength, agility, and reputation as a stealthy predator.