object

Mexico’s National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) has taken custody of a remarkable turquoise mosaic skull, returned from the Netherlands after decades in a Leiden museum collection. Part human remains, part Mesoamerican mosaic, the object is poised to yield fresh evidence about the man behind the ornament and the tangled history of how it was collected. Its return also brings an unresolved question into sharper focus: although the skull and its inlays are ancient, the arrangement seen today includes modern intervention. With potential future study and a possible home in Oaxaca, its journey is only beginning. Left, front on view of the skull. Right; Left-profile view showing the contrast between the mosaic-covered face and the cranium. ( INAH )