Preclassic Olmec Figurine in Stone

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Important olmec figure of olmec ethnic dignitary from the preclassic period (2500-200 bc) important olmec figure of dignitary of the … Read more Important olmec figure of olmec ethnic dignitary from the preclassic period (2500-200 bc) important olmec figure of dignitary of the olmec ethnic group of the preclassic period (2500-200 bc) green serpentine, white, yellow veins, shiny surface. Height 24.5 cm. Weight: 1446 g

large character sculpted in a magnificent greenish blue serpentine veined with white. He is standing with his legs slightly bent. His arms hang along the trunk, the hands are represented with folded fingers closed by two straight thumbs. His heavy round shoulders are surmounted by a head with a prognathous chin, the lips drawn in the pure olmec tradition (upper lip down). Two small, hollow, almond-shaped eyes surround a long, aquiline nose with flaring nostrils. On the sides, the presence of rectangular ears. This statue is exceptional for its size, for the force that emerges from it and finally for its exceptional state of preservation. The olmec civilization, more concerned with the gods than with men, is not characterized by representations of the human body. This excellently crafted anthropomorphic sculpture displays well-represented anatomical details. Therefore, we should not think that it is a free representation of the human body. On the contrary, it is almost certain that this piece was used in a ritual to represent a god or to attach the attributes of some deities such as necklaces or ornaments. It is dated to the middle preclassic for obvious stylistic reasons. This piece is an excellent example of olmec stone art. Among some of its physical characteristics, the following stand out: apparently “it had two fleshy bulges on the sides of the nose. The almond-shaped eyes are large and slightly oblique, with the outer corners down; the people of the jaguar.

origin: acquired by the valdivielso family in the 1960s. Inherited to his children exhibitions:grisalla valladolid art gallery bibliography. Alcina franch, jose. Archaeologists or antique dealers, ancient history of archeology in spanish america, ediciones del serbal, 1995. De la fuente, beatriz. "the men of stone, olmec sculpture", national autonomous university of mexico, mexico, 1977. Medellin zenil, alfonso. Corpus antiquitatum americanensium, "olmec monoliths and others in the museum of the university of veracruz", national institute of anthropology and history, international academic union, mexico, 1971. Figures de pierre, paris, 1992, fig. 3, p. 31. Mezcala, carlo gay and frances pratt, geneva, 1992, p. 213, fig. 253. L'art précolombien, olmèque, maya, aztèque, lausanne, 1997, p. 76. Mexico terre des dieux, genève, 1998, p.34, plate 15. Chontal, ancient stone sculpture from guerrero mexico, geneva, 2001, p. 109, plate n°164. Au coeur de l'amérique précolombienne, 2003, p. 64, fig. 9. Catalog de la vente binoche, march 14, 2005, lot n°8. Exhibition "figures de pierre, l'art du guerrero", paris, 1992. Mexico, terre des dieux, genève, 1998. Museum of anthropology of xalapa, veracruz. Mexico. See less