"Tzitzimitl" - Phase I: The Mask-Helmet

The tzitzimitl mask-helmet (hereafter, m-h) is as defining as it is iconic, thus it stands to reason that it has to be "right". It not only has to be right (i.e., display the characteristic appointments that were associated with the deity); but it has to look right when worn... This is as good a time as any to underscore that the Mexica "mask-helmets" were full helmets, "great helmets" if you will: the way Young has designed the helmet suggests, at least to me, that this was more of an open-backed mask than a helmet.

I spent a couple of productive hours at the bench yesterday, and the m-h makeover is well underway. I'll post some images in the next 72 hrs., but in the meantime, let me touch upon some highlights of what's been done to date.

1) I have reduced the necklace (which will serve nicely as the edge of the collar of the tlahuiztli), and eliminated the claw-like spacers--I have no idea what these are intended to represent. This served as a preliminary to the initial judicious reduction of the pectorals: so far I would say I have reduced them by 1-1.5mm. I may go a bit further, I may not. To prepare for what follows, I permanently attached the face/neck, and reduced all visible hair.

2) Eliminated the mantling of feathers across the shoulders, and the bindings, etc. on the back of the head. The tzitzimitl m-h does have a quetzal-feather crest attached to the top of the m-h; and the back of the helmet is adorned with hair and/or quetzal feathers arranged to look like disheveled hair. Some sources indicate that the entire m-h was covered with featherwork, and this will be examined and considered in the days to come.

3) Eliminated the fangs. It might look "cool" and "horrific", but we're talking about a flesh-eating, skull-headed demon: what more do you need?! Fangs were limited to mask-helmets depicting natural creatures (e.g., jaguars (ocelotl), coyotes (coyotl)). The same may be said of pronounced "overbites", where the mandible of the h-m is markedly underslung relative to the maxilla.

4) The talon ear-pendants and the carved "forelock", for lack of a better term, have already been discarded. The former will be replaced by the characteristic ear spools of the tzitzimitl: to accommodate these, I have drilled a 3.5mm hole in the ear lobes of the m-h's ears. But before that is given its due consideration, the ears must be relocated: to this end, they have already been removed.

ADDENDUM
A most productive day! I have restored the calvarium to the head, and the h-m is now a stand-alone, removable item. Next I will fit the h-m by adding the internal padding. I have not decided whether I will depict the h-m ties (omitted in the kit) tied or un-.

11.10.2009
The ears on the h-m have been reattached. I have begun the surface finishing on the m-h, and started tweaking the overall shape in anticipation of the addition of the shell (forehead) and the hair/feathers.