Lot of 6 Guerrero Mezcala Greenstone Head Amulets (Auction 2026-06-05, Lot 32)

$385.50

Pre-Columbian, Mexico, Guerrero, Mezcala culture, ca. 700 to 200 BCE. A compelling group of six Mezcala greenstone pendants or beads carved in the form of abstract human heads, their simplified features and softly contoured planes characteristic of this enigmatic sculptural tradition. Each example displays drilled perforations or shaping consistent with suspension or personal adornment, while select pieces bear incised or pecked facial details suggesting eyes and mouth rendered with quiet restraint. The varied tones of greenstone, ranging from pale celadon to deeper mottled hues, highlight both the material’s desirability and its symbolic associations with vitality and renewal in ancient Mesoamerica. Mezcala artisans favored abstraction over naturalism, reducing the human form to essential geometric volumes, a visual language that distinguishes these objects within the broader corpus of Pre-Columbian art. Size of largest: 1.8″ W x 2.3″ H (4.6 cm x 5.8 cm)

Likely worn as pendants or used as amuletic objects, such pieces may have conveyed identity, status, or spiritual protection. As a group, they offer a refined example of Mezcala craftsmanship, where minimal form carries enduring presence.

Provenance: Collection of Y. Kayvan, Los Angeles, California, USA, acquired from a Los Angeles, California, USA gallery acquisition dates range from the late 1990s to 2005

Condition: Weathering and surface wear with softening of detail as shown. All wearable with scattered earthen deposits.