Description:

Pre-Columbian, Mesoamerica, Olmec culture, ca. 1150 to 550 BCE. A fine representation of an Olmec baby figurine with remaining head, arms, and front part of the torso. The head has nicely-detailed facial features and an interesting coiffure above two large ears with spool earrings. The arms are spread wide, and the baby is pudgy, in the classic Olmec style, with a belly button. Is this a portrayal of a royal baby? An god or goddess? A memorial to a lost child? The meaning behind these unique and lifelike figures is a mystery today. Comes with custom stand. Size: 7" W x 8.3" H (17.8 cm x 21.1 cm); height on stand: 11.1" (28.2 cm).

The Olmec are famous for their human depictions; as the first major civilization in this fertile area, their artwork inspired the civilizations that came after them to the point that we think some of them even revered Olmec artwork and kept it as heirlooms. Figures of this style are known as "baby face", with plump bodies and chubby, pouty facial features. Infants are a recurring theme from Olmec art, and this one would likely have once been white-slipped to match other known examples. The shape of their heads - like this one - have been attributed to deliberate skull shaping practices done on real Olmec infants.

Provenance: Adeon Gallery, Chicago, Illinois, USA, acquired prior to 1970

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#122903

  • Condition: Piece is a repaired fragment, with loss to the ends of the arms and to the back of the body. The body has been repaired and reattached to the head. Nice details remain.

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May 18, 2017 7:00 AM MDT
Louisville, CO, US

Artemis Fine Arts

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