Description:

Pre-Columbian, Southeastern Mexico, Guerrero region, Chontal, ca. 800 to 300 BCE. A slender greenstone figure showing very strong Olmec characteristics, but likely Chontal from the Guerrero region, with an elongated head and large open eyes that perhaps once held inlays of contrasting colors to animate this somber figure. He stands with legs slightly separated, hands to his chest, his fingers shaped by incised lines, face showing the classic Olmec features with large lips, triangular nose, and domed head - a sign of high status most likely due to artificial cranial deformation that was practiced by the elite. A fabulous example with an attractively mottled pale green surface! Size: 5.4" H (13.7 cm); custom display stand included

To the Olmecs, statuettes like this example carried many meanings, not all of which are obvious to us today; however, scholars surmise that the color green was associated with vibrant growth, renewal, and given the cyclical conception of life and death, rejuvenation after death. A breathtaking work of art, replete with strong technique, intriguing symbolism, and a beautiful natural stone.

Provenance: private New York, New York, USA collection; ex-private lifetime collection of Dr. Saul Tuttman and Dr. Gregory Siskind, New York, New York, USA, acquired in the 1980s

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#170411

  • Condition: Missing both legs, and losses to right leg is greater. Visible repair running vertically from across face to under left arm to behind left shoulder and across head behind. All original material and no restoration. Nice coloration and preservation to original form.

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March 3, 2022 8:00 AM MST
Louisville, CO, US

Artemis Fine Arts

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