Mold for making figurines, depicting a woman seated in a domestic scene. The woman is slightly inclined to one side and touches a deer or dog with her left hand. Although the mold is fragmented at the top of the head, it is possible to discern that the woman has facial decoration created by scarring (scarification or abrasions on the face). She wears a necklace and a huipil (embroidered blouse) decorated with slanted bands composed of triangles and dots. An opening in the huipil reveals part of the breast, as well as the space for the missing head of the child she appears to be breastfeeding. This is inferred because the infant’s body appears slightly below the bust, and the missing head was likely made in a separate mold and later attached to the mother’s figure. * Former “Príncipe Maya” Museum Collection, Cobán, Alta Verapaz Comment: “The missing heads of the child or alux (?), and the deer or dog, must have been applied over the cast mold after firing… The woman holds the child’s shoulder (male, judging by the evidence) with her right hand and the animal’s right paw in her left. I don’t see a sacrifice… The positions of the child and animal are anatomically accurate. I do see, however, an exceptional headdress and huipil on the woman, who appears to be of a certain social standing or upper class, a beautiful necklace, and a young adult.” “I believe the mold was used to create the matrix of the piece, to which, before firing, the heads of the secondary figures in the scene (child and animal) were applied and then immersed in slip or another solidification technique prior to firing and finishing.” “It is an exceptional piece due to its subject matter and meticulous craftsmanship.” Comment by Dr. Alejandro Villalobos (INAH, oct. 24, 2019) | 
