Mask representing a human stylized face, Teotihuacan Culture

This beautiful mask is carved in a white translucid alabaster. Square-shaped, it shows a stylized human flattened face. The four corners are drilled and arrounded : slightly on the forehead and a little bit more in the lower part. The mouth is indicated by an horizontal line surrounded by thick lips. The mouth-nose area looks like a trapeze. The arch of the eyebrows is continu. The eyes are like a coffee-beanshape.
Excellent condition.

On the back, one can see two labels glued one on the other. The first one is rectangular, and the second one is round.
On the rectangular one, we can read in capital letters :
BEASLEY COLLECTION
It is hand written :
« …-12-24 »
The second one is sticked on the other in its center. It is round and the letters are deleted, except the letters « G » and « B » : the initials of Harry Geoffrey Beasley and the inscription « 16-12-24 » in the diameter.

The mask is the BEASLEY Collection since the 16th of December, 1924.

Harry Geoffrey BEASLEY (1881-1939)
He was born on December 18, 1881 in Kent in East Plumbed. He is very young and shows interest in ethnography, travel and elsewhere. He would have acquired his first piece at the age of 13 years old. HIs fortune allowed him to continue collecting freely.

In 1914, he married to his cousin Marguerite BEASLEY. They move into a house that will be called "Cranmore Ethnological Museum".

They buy so much in European private collections as American. They also buy in auctions and even in local museum. It is estimated that more than 6,000 pieces are on display in Cranmore.

Beasley died in 1939. His collection was then divided among different British museums including the British Museum. Irene survived him until 1974.

The heirs began to sell little by little...