Pre-Classical Period, 12th-2nd century BC. A rock crystal mask with a human face with feline features emerging from the mouth of a jaguar, the teeth and fangs of the jaguar framing the human face. See Instituto Geologico de M?xico, Catalogo Geográfico de las especies minerales de M?xico, Boletin 41, M?xico, 1923; Westheim, P., The sculpture of Ancient Mexico, New York, 1963; Westheim, P., El Arte antiguo de Mexico, Mexico, 1970; Gribay Kintana A.M., Teogonía e Historia de los Mexicanos, Sepan Cuantos, Mexico, 1965; Palacios, M. L., La cultura Olmeca, Istituto Indigenista Interamericano, Mexico, 1965; Mirambell, L.E., Tecnicas Lapidarias Prehispanica, M?xico, 1968; Wise, T., The Conquistadores, London, 1980; Ward, F., Jade Gem, EUA, 1996; Ridinger, M.L., ‘El Jade’ in Arqueologia Mexicana vol. V, No 27 Septiembre-Octubre, pp.52-59, M?xico, 1997; Guilhem, O., ‘Los Animales en el mundo prehispanico’ in Arqueologia Mexicana vol.VI n.35, Enero-Febrero,, pp.4-15, Mexico, 1999; Mirambell, L.E., ‘Materiales Arqueologicos y material prima’, in Serie Arqueologia INAH, M?xico, 2005; Langenscheidt, A., ‘Los Abrasivos en Mesoam?rica’, in Arqueologia Mexicana vol. XIV, No 80 Julio-Agosto, M?xico, 2006, pp.55-60.2.89 kg, 21cm (8 1/4"). Property of an Italian collector living in Torino; part of her family's collection since 1965; by descent from her grandmother in 1993; accompanied by a copy of the Italian export permit and a signed academic report by Emilio J. Bejarano Erosa (Director of the Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia, Mexico, 1968-1982); also accompanied by a scholarly note TL5352 by Dr Ronald Bonewitz; this lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by AIAD certificate number no.10282-168430. The absence of fastening holes suggests that the item here originally functioned as a funerary mask, depicting the jaguar god, the most important deity of the Olmec world. The face is typically Olmec from the pre-classical period. The headdress is formed as the upper-half of the jaguar's face, a distinctive custom of this culture. Although rock crystal is not very common in Olmec culture, other instances of its use have been unearthed during archaeological investigations. Just as the use of jade was rare, restricted to offerings made in association with high-ranking dignitaries, rock crystal was also highly valued for its beauty and the technical skill it took to work the material.