Friso estucado de un edificio

Frieze with a central mask guarded by two characters with old faces. The central part has a big square decorated with feathers, and in the center of it stands out the face of the main character that has as base the snake-jaguar mask whose side extremities are feathered wings. The face of the main character has a rectangular shape and is surrounded by a spherical-bead band. At the “wings” or sides of the mask, at mouth level and symmetrically, there are Pop (or mat) symbols and above these, the big earflaps formed by rounded corner squares with a protruding unit in each corner. On top of these, there is an image of a shark, known as Xook in Mayan. The face of who possibly was a ruler has a headdress piece crowned with corn leaves and other vegetable elements.The characters on the sides of this big frieze, whose position and associated elements brings out the symmetry, are facing forward from the chest up with a projected face decorated with a heavy headdress. Their long, thin arms are bended with the elbows leaned on the low edge of the frieze; in their open hands predominates water streams elements. The faces on both sides have a clear sign of old age, outstanding cheekbones, deep-set cheeks, toothless mouth with only two small eye teeth that still keep their white color; they have Pop or mat motifs as a way of breastplate.This stucco frieze, with the figure of a ruler guarded by two elderly men, was part of the main façade in a temple located at Los Placeres from where it was removed with the purpose to be sold to collectors abroad. Thanks to the job done by the Embassy of Mexico in the United Stated, the piece was recovered and today is part of the collection displayed in the Mayan Hall.Dra. Federica Sodi MirandaColaboradores: Arqlgo. Hugo Herrera Torres Araceli Ruiz Peláez Mtro. Hugo García Capistran.