The Oculate Being, likely the patron spirit or deity of an early fertility cult on Peru’s south coast, is embodied in this rare ceramic mask decorated with resin-based paint. Serpents slither across its face. The snake heads radiate from the sides and form a corona around the edges of the mask. The most prominent features of the mask are the large, round eyes. The curved, smiling mouth reveals a row of teeth. A small figure pops out from the top of the mask and, wearing a similar mask himself, impersonates the Oculate Being. The function of the mask is […]
