Mexico, Guerrero, Mezcala style
Circa 100 BC
Serpentine
Height: 3¾ in (9.5 cm)
Provenance: Riverside Gallery, Houston, Texas, 1980s; Dr. Rick Heideman, Albuquerque, New Mexico
Mezcala figures carved in serpentine are among the more distinctive examples of the tradition, the deep green stone lending the object a visual density and chromatic richness that sets them apart from the more common gray or buff stone examples. Serpentine sources in the Guerrero region were exploited by Mezcala carvers alongside other metamorphic stones, and the material's hardness required a controlled approach to both shaping and surface finishing. The stone's color and translucency carried symbolic weight in Mesoamerican cultures, where green stones were broadly associated with fertility, water, and elite status.
This figure follows the standard Mezcala formal program, with a helmet-like head, incised facial features, arms indicated in low relief against the torso, and a compact rectangular body tapering toward a narrow base. The serpentine displays a rich mottled green with lighter veining visible across the carved surfaces. The Houston gallery and Albuquerque collection provenance gives this piece a clear two-owner American collecting history from the 1980s onward.
We ship free anywhere in the world, fully insured, packed by hand.
Mexico, Guerrero, Mezcala style
Circa 100 BC
Serpentine
Height: 3¾ in (9.5 cm)
Provenance: Riverside Gallery, Houston, Texas, 1980s; Dr. Rick Heideman, Albuquerque, New Mexico
Mezcala figures carved in serpentine are among the more distinctive examples of the tradition, the deep green stone lending the object a visual density and chromatic richness that sets them apart from the more common gray or buff stone examples. Serpentine sources in the Guerrero region were exploited by Mezcala carvers alongside other metamorphic stones, and the material's hardness required a controlled approach to both shaping and surface finishing. The stone's color and translucency carried symbolic weight in Mesoamerican cultures, where green stones were broadly associated with fertility, water, and elite status.
This figure follows the standard Mezcala formal program, with a helmet-like head, incised facial features, arms indicated in low relief against the torso, and a compact rectangular body tapering toward a narrow base. The serpentine displays a rich mottled green with lighter veining visible across the carved surfaces. The Houston gallery and Albuquerque collection provenance gives this piece a clear two-owner American collecting history from the 1980s onward.
We ship free anywhere in the world, fully insured, packed by hand.
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