162

162: A Mezcala Stone Figure, Pre-Columbian Mexico

Currency:USD Category:Antiquities Start Price:150.00 USD Estimated At:300.00 - 600.00 USD
162: A Mezcala Stone Figure, Pre-Columbian Mexico
Pre-Columbian Mexico, circa 400 B.C. – 100 B.C. This example measures 3 ¼” tall by about 2 ¼” deep and about 1 ½” wide, and was finely crafted by the ancient artisan from a striated, veined, dull green stone. It depicts the form of a crouching or seated figure looking upward, a relatively rare variety for Mezcala stone sculpture. Only minimal cuts and depressions were employed by the ancient maker as necessary to depict the essential features of the human form, a hallmark of ancient Mezcala sculpture. For reference, see “Mezcala Stone Sculpture: The Human Figure” by Carlo T.E. Gay (he used a similar example of this seated type on the cover of his book). Gay comments that “seated figures are fairly rare, but appear from an early stage. Legs are usually flexed against the body; arms either hug the chest or extend forward with the hands grasping the knees.” This example conforms to Gay’s description of the relatively rare seated type, and the minimalist features suggest it is an early example.

Provenance: Former K. Eurich, California, USA collection. From a collection formed in the 1960’s.