Mexico, Mezcala style
400 BC–100 AD
Greenstone
Height 3 1/4 in / 8.3 cm
Provenance: Alain Schoffel, Brussels; Private Paris collection
This Mezcala-style greenstone figure reflects the highly abstract stone carving tradition of ancient western Mexico. Unlike the colorful ceramic figures often associated with West Mexican tomb cultures, Mezcala sculpture reduces the human form to a compact, geometric presence. The figure is nude but not gendered, with no clear indication of rank, dress, jewelry, or social identity.
The sculptor worked from a small block of hard greenstone, using minimal cutting and incision to define the head, facial features, torso, arms, and separated legs. The flat back, projecting facial profile, and compact vertical shape give the object an axe-like form, consistent with other Mezcala figures that were not designed to stand unaided. Objects of this type were associated with burial contexts and were later valued by the Mexica, who deposited earlier Mezcala works as offerings at the Templo Mayor in Tenochtitlan.
We ship free anywhere in the world, fully insured, packed by hand.
Mexico, Mezcala style
400 BC–100 AD
Greenstone
Height 3 1/4 in / 8.3 cm
Provenance: Alain Schoffel, Brussels; Private Paris collection
This Mezcala-style greenstone figure reflects the highly abstract stone carving tradition of ancient western Mexico. Unlike the colorful ceramic figures often associated with West Mexican tomb cultures, Mezcala sculpture reduces the human form to a compact, geometric presence. The figure is nude but not gendered, with no clear indication of rank, dress, jewelry, or social identity.
The sculptor worked from a small block of hard greenstone, using minimal cutting and incision to define the head, facial features, torso, arms, and separated legs. The flat back, projecting facial profile, and compact vertical shape give the object an axe-like form, consistent with other Mezcala figures that were not designed to stand unaided. Objects of this type were associated with burial contexts and were later valued by the Mexica, who deposited earlier Mezcala works as offerings at the Templo Mayor in Tenochtitlan.
We ship free anywhere in the world, fully insured, packed by hand.
