Pre-Columbian, Olmec culture, ca. 1150 to 550 BCE. A small green stone hand-carved figure of a person making a ferocious face and kneeling. The face is twisted into a yell, with a wide open mouth, and fine details showing all of the wrinkles in nose and forehead. Olmec art is noted for its early naturalistic sculptural depictions of the human form, unlike later periods in Mesoamerica, where the human form became abstracted; the facial details and curves of the body on this figure are good examples of Olmec skill. The value of greenstone, also called "jade", for ancient people lay in its symbolic power: perhaps its color was associated with water and vegetation; later, the Maya would place jade beads in the mouths of the dead. Many scholars have argued that the demand for jadeite contributed to the rise of long distance trading networks and to the rise of urban centers in ancient Mesoamerica. This would have been an exceedingly valuable and rare piece of ceremonial art. Comes with custom stand. Size: 1.5" L x 0.85" W x 2.95" H (3.8 cm x 2.2 cm x 7.5 cm)

Provenance: Ex-Peter Arnovick collection, San Francisco, CA acquired around 1980

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