Lot 1
Pre-Columbian, Southern Mexico to Guatemala, Olmec, ca. 1200 to 800 BCE. An impressive, seated figure carved from a single piece of volcanic basalt stone and holding a hollowed out vessel in his arms. The kneeling figure displays signature Olmec traits including a jowly face, straight and broad nose, downturned "jaguar" mouth, square jaw, rounded chin, puffy eyelids, and slanted eyes. The recessed eye sockets likely once had an inlay, perhaps of shell, and based on similar known sculptures, while the surface was probably once painted white with red details. The bowl cavity is hollowed out and may have functioned as a vessel for holding small offerings or other ritualistic substances. The Size: 7" L x 8" W x 16" H (17.8 cm x 20.3 cm x 40.6 cm)
The Olmec are the ancestors of all Mesoamerican civilizations, and their artistic style, practiced in the tropical lowlands of south-central Mexico and diffused outward through extensive trade networks that stretched into northern Mexico and central America, was inspirational for those who came after. The Olmec style became synonymous with elite status in the highlands. They created enormous stone heads, probably the first thing many of us think of when we remember the Olmec. While difficult to completely understand their belief system given that the Olmec were pre-literate, scholars theorize that the monumental stone heads, which can weigh up to forty tons, may have been erected to honor ancestors or rulers. The smaller figures such as this, example, are thought to represent totems or divinities, however, many of these portrayals are of children or infants, but their meaning remains a complete mystery. Based on a few known sculptures and the much later Maya practice of referring to young people as "ch'ok", referring to a maize sprout, there seems to have been a symbolic connection between children and the sprouting of the harvest. Roughly infant and toddler-sized figures like this one may also have been stand-ins for actual children who were ritually sacrificed to bring on that harvest.
Provenance: ex-Marc Amiguet Schmitt estate, Amiguet's Ancient Art, Evansville, Indiana, USA, acquired prior to January 1, 2010
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#173323
- Condition: Head reattached with infill to break line. Chips and shallow cavities throughout, and natural stone pitting. Some mineral and earthen deposits in recessed areas. Overall great preservation and large size.
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