During ht Mayan times a funeral mask was built strictly for kings and they were buried with this mask on their face a very similar Idea to the purpose why Egyptians built sarcophagus with the Pharaoh´s figure… “An eternal portrait”, a face that was not going to be able to disintegrate.  One of the most famous Masks found in the area is the Funerary Mask from Tikal Guatemala, featured in National Geographic, September 1987.  The reason why have caught the attention of scientists and archeologists all over the world is its complex design of more than 150 individual pieces, found in the tomb 160 at Tikal Archeological Site is now in Guatemala City at the National Museum of archeology and ethnology; considered part of the patrimony is more part of a national treasure.

To make the replica of this masterpiece, we have to find a wooden base just like The Maya made the original, after that we have to design on the base and then star working the 150 pieces one by on with a very similar process to the one used for the beads for necklaces, we stick the pieces on the base with a paste similar to stucco made out of chalk, cement, glue, jade powder and paint to cover also the back and to fill the spaces in between.   Finally we have to clean carefully with a knife the paste on the jade pieces, this knife is not going to scratch Jade because if it´s made out of steel, steel is five (5.0) in the mohs scale and Jade is harder than that.