Lot 16A
Pre-Columbian, Valley of Mexico, Teotihuacan, ca. 3rd to 7th century CE. A stunning anthropomorphic maskette of solid construction and timeless form, hand-carved from semi-translucent tecali stone exhibiting mottled hues of sage, wheat, taupe, maize, citron, chartreuse, and moss. The poignant portraiture presents with protruding ovoid eyes and drilled canthi surrounded by puffy eyelids, sweeping brows, a slender nose with delineated nostrils, gently bulging cheeks that taper to a rounded mandible, and flared lips framing 2 rows of teeth. A pair of perforated, tab-shaped ears rest behind the temples, and above is a massive, round-topped forehead. Two pairs of biconically drilled holes along the verso enable the suspension of this maskette or perhaps its attachment to the top of a figural effigy given the concave verso. Smooth layers of original caliche still dot the surfaces in scattered areas and imbue the mask with a gracefully aged presentation. Size: 3.64" W x 3.66" H (9.2 cm x 9.3 cm); 5.7" H (14.5 cm) on included custom stand.
Teotihuacan was at one time the largest city in the Pre-Columbian world, famous for its pyramids (Pyramid of the Sun and the Pyramid of the Moon) as well as the Great Compound with the Temple of Quetzalcoatl (aka Temple of the Plumed Serpent) punctuating the Avenue of the Dead. Stone figures like this example are perhaps the best-known works of Teotihuacan art. Examples like this figure from Teotihuacan often have idealized features (rather than individual depictions) and calm expressions, with simple lines used economically in order to create powerful effigies without an overuse of detail.
Cf. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, accession numbers 1987.394.721 and 00.5.1437
A similar example hammered for EUR 31,250 ($35,370.31) at Christie's, Paris "Un oeil a part: Collections d'un esprit libre" auction (Live auction 18966, December 10-11, 2019, lot 16).
Another similar example hammered for EUR 112,500 ($127,333.13) at Sotheby's, Paris "Le Soleil De Nuit: Tresors Precolombiens D'une Grande Collection Francaise" auction (sale number PF1948, October 30, 2019, lot 29).
This piece has been searched against the Art Loss Register database and has been cleared. The Art Loss Register maintains the world's largest database of stolen art, collectibles, and antiques.
Provenance: ex-private Orlando, Florida, USA collection; ex-B. G. Malone collection, Houston, Texas, USA, collected in Mexico prior to 1970
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Display stands not described as included/custom in the item description are for photography purposes only and will not be included with the item upon shipping.
#168335
- Condition: Repair to proper right corner of maskette along forehead, eyebrow, and temple from 2 large pieces, with light restoration and small chips along break lines. Minor abrasions to face, peripheries, and verso, with chips to both ears, nose, and bottom lip, light encrustations, small areas of staining, and possible erosion around right eye from water or environment. Wonderful preservation to overall form, and nice caliche remaining in scattered areas, and good earthen deposits.
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| From: | To: | Increments: |
|---|---|---|
| $0 | $299 | $25 |
| $300 | $999 | $50 |
| $1,000 | $1,999 | $100 |
| $2,000 | $4,999 | $250 |
| $5,000 | $9,999 | $500 |
| $10,000 | $19,999 | $1,000 |
| $20,000 | $49,999 | $2,500 |
| $50,000 | $99,999 | $5,000 |
| $100,000 | $199,999 | $10,000 |
| $200,000 + | $20,000 |