Description:

Pre-Columbian, Mexico, Guerrero, Mezcala, ca. 500 to 200 BCE. Never before have we handled a Mezcala anthropomorphic axe god figure with painted features including round eyes and arms delineated with a russet red natural pigment. This standing figure hand-carved and string-cut from a beautiful grey-green stone, replete with marvelous root marks, displays the elegant minimalist aesthetic of the Mezcala. With its broad, flat face, sloping cheek planes, and separated legs, it appears to be an M-6 variant. However, there is no vertical ridge denoting a nose, and while grooves delineate the forehead, mouth, and jawline, these are replaced by painted lines when it comes to outlining the arms. Quite an unusual example from the ancients of Guerrero, Mexico. Custom, museum-quality stand. Size: 3.5" W x 7.25" H (8.9 cm x 18.4 cm); 7.5" (19.1 cm) on stand.

Provenance: Ex-Peter Arnovick collection, San Francisco, CA

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#116886

  • Condition: Minor nicks to feet and back of head. Else intact and painted features are still vivid.

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December 1, 2016 7:00 AM MST
Louisville, CO, US

Artemis Fine Arts

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