Image and Essence of Lord Pakal of Palenque: Archaeology and Restoration of His Funerary Jade Mask
Laura Filloy Nadal
National Museum of Anthropology
Mexico City
From the archaeology and epigraphy of his tomb, we know that Pakal ruled Palenque, Mexico, during the 6th century A.D. Since it became part of the National Museum of Anthropology’s collection in 1964, Pakal’s mask had rarely left its place in the Maya Hall. In September 2001, a routine check was made to review the piece’s state of conservation to assess the feasibility of its loan. It was then that we realized the poor conditions provided by the backing on which the pieces of the mask had been reassembled for display. This situation gave us with a unique opportunity to undertake a new reconstruction of the mask, based on a detailed scientific study of numerous factors.
In this presentation we will analyze the manufacturing technique of Pakal’s mask. Latter we will explore the archaeological context and the moment of the discovery to understand the distribution of the parts, as well as identified the taphenomic processes that occurred in the tomb and the etiology of the alterations on the different materials. Discussion centers on the function and significance of the piece during the funerary rites of the king. Finally, we will review the discovery of the mask in 1952, its incorporation into the collections of the National Museum of Anthropology, the disintegration of the mosaic backing over the course of fifty years and, as a final point, the restoration process undertaken during 2001-2002.