Lot 112
Pre-Columbian, Mesoamerica, Olmec, Middle Formative period, ca. 9th to 4th century BCE. A captivating Olmec greenstone figure carved in the round, shown in a contorted and deeply expressive pose that evokes theatricality, motion, and mystery. The figure arches backward in a powerful spinal curve, right leg extended while the left knee thrusts high, the arms pressed tightly to the body as the head tilts dramatically upward with an open-mouthed grimace or cry. This composition imparts a dynamic sense of emotional intensity and embodied transformation. Carved from a mottled greenstone with fine polish along the raised areas and deeper brown deposits in the recesses, the figure features drilled ears, nostrils, and corners of the mouth. A biconically drilled hole pierces the crook of the right elbow - a feature that could serve as a suspension loop, allowing this object to be worn or displayed ceremonially. Size: 3.8" L x 2.4" W x 1.8" H (9.7 cm x 6.1 cm x 4.6 cm)
A trapezoidal loincloth with a thn, raised waistband wraps the figure front and back, a recurring visual motif seen in figures excavated at La Venta, one of the Olmec heartland's principal ritual centers. Rather than signifying elite status, this loincloth appears to be part of a standardized costume or ceremonial attire found in Olmec visual language. The sharp carving of the limbs, the sculptural depth of the belly and spine, and the hollowed eyes and pursed lips all suggest a nuanced understanding of the human form as well as the symbolic imagination to distort and animate it.
The pose of this figure invites comparison with a select group of reclining Olmec sculptures, including the greenstone figure at the Dallas Museum of Art (1973.21), the curled figure photographed in the Fordham University Library, the expressive jade sculpture at Dumbarton Oaks (PC.B.007), and the examples illustrated in Ignacio Bernal's "The Olmec World" (1969, plates 74b and 74d). These works are marked by a similar languid asymmetry, folded limbs, and a head thrown upward or to the side, conveying a moment frozen in a trance, transformation, or perhaps performance. The dramatic arching posture may also relate to the pose of a rare ceramic figure from the Walters Art Museum (48.2800), which echoes the same turned body and angled expression.
Rare and undoubtedly significant, this expressive figure speaks to the Olmec fascination with transformation, liminality, and the animated body. Whether a supernatural being, a shamanic transformation figure, or a mythic actor, he is carved with the full weight of symbolic charge and physical presence.
Provenance: private Studio City, California, USA collection
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#194201
- Condition: Head has been repaired with some minor chipping along visible break line. Some light surface wear and natural fissures to stone, but otherwise, excellent with rich encrustation in recessed areas and good remaining detail.
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