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Pre-Columbian, Mexico, Guerrero, Mezcala culture, (Balsas culture), ca. 700 to 200 BCE. A fine example of a Mezcala greenstone carving, a standing figure, clearly human, but created with string-cut lines and very simple, magnified features. The type of stone it is made out of is a smooth grey-green andesite, a volcanic rock along with orange-colored mineral highlights that, although hard and therefore difficult to carve, was heavily favored by the Mezcala and used to create many of their human form sculptures and some of their architectural models. These were carved in the form of symbolic axe heads. We do not know what figures like these represented, but because they are found in tombs, many researchers believe that they were associated with the spirits of the deceased, or a type of death mask. Size: 1″ L x 1.375″ W x 4.5″ H (2.5 cm x 3.5 cm x 11.4 cm); 4.75″ H (12.1 cm) on included custom stand.
Condition: Several stable hairline fissures, surface wear commensurate with age, noticeable wear to one side of figure, with white mineral deposits in carved areas.
Provenance: ex-Adeon Gallery, Chicago, Illinois, USA, acquired prior to 1970
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