Lot 112A
Pre-Columbian, Mexico, Mezcala, ca. 300 BCE to 100 BCE. Finely carved and string-cut from a single piece of olivine-hued andesite, an anthropomorphic figure that possesses traits indicative of M-6 Mezcala types. According to Carlo Gay's important classification of ancient Mezcala figures, "This type [M-6] is defined by the construction of its facial planes; they are flat- or almost flat- and the salient angle formed by the intersection of the two planes becomes the semblance of a nose extending from forehead to chin. The mouth is a slit or a groove in the lower half of the salient. The neck is cut deeper and narrower than in the M-4 type, while other details remain unchanged." With the M-6 type, the primary foundational stylistic elements characterizing Mezcala figures were established. A wonderful example expertly carved using string-cut technology from a beautiful, pale green stone with cream inclusions. Size: 3" W x 5.6" H (7.6 cm x 14.2 cm); 6.7" H (17 cm) on included custom stand.
The ancient artisans of this region were particularly adept at reducing the human body to simple, eloquent forms via this string cut technique. The result ironically appeals to a modernist taste for minimalism. Mezcala sculptural works are equally appealing for the inherent beauty of the stone selected by the ancients. This example is no exception!
Provenance: private Hawaii, USA collection; ex-Meza family collection, Whittier, California, USA, acquired in the 1960s; ex-Fernandez family collection, acquired via descent from Dr. & Dr. R. Fernandez in the 1940s
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#173968
- Condition: Chipping to top of head, as well as peripheries of ears, proper right shoulder, and interior of left arm. Otherwise, intact and impressively preserved with a remarkable presentation.
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