Turquoise mosaic mask of Tezcatlipoca, Mixtec-Aztec, AD 1400-1521. A human skull forms the base for this mask of Tezcatlipoca. 'Smoking Mirror', one of four powerful creator gods in the Aztec pantheon. The Aztec believed that the defeat of Quetzalcoatl by Tezcatlipoca marked the beginning of the current era of creation. The emblem of Tezcatlipoca, an obsidian mirror, symbolises his control over the hidden forces of creation and destruction. The mask is decorated with a mosaic of turquoise, lignite and shell; the eyes have been made from polished iron pyrites. The skull was probably tied around the waist by the leather straps as indicated in the Codex image.

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