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Pre-Columbian, Mexico, Guerrero region, Chontal, ca. 800 to 300 BCE. A beautiful upright figure, skillfully carved from a mottled stone in hues of pistachio and wheat with black speckled inclusions. The figure shows very strong Olmec characteristics, but is clearly of Chontal origin from the Guerrero region of Mexico. The figure stands upon delineated legs, with both arms flush against the slender torso. The abstruse visage consists of almond eyes, a naturalistic nose, and a drilled mouth, with incised ears and a slightly-recessed brow line completing the anthropomorphic countenance. The neckline, arms, and legs are all defined through use of the meticulous string-cutting technique. A superb olmecoid example replete with expert artistry and fastidious attention to detail! Size: 4.125″ H (10.5 cm).
The Guerrero region of modern-day southwestern Mexico was the center of the Mezcala and Chontal stone carving traditions. While Mezcala artists are known for their abstract, geometric style, the Chontal sculptors imbued their artworks with more naturalism. Although their stonework stems from the Preclassic period, ca. 300 to 100 BCE, later Mesoamerican peoples clearly cherished Chontal portable sculptures as heirlooms. Chontal creations have been unearthed in ritual caches at Templo Mayor, the principle temple of the fifteenth-century Aztecs of Tenochtitlan (Mexico City). What’s more, legendary 20th century modernists such as Diego Rivera, Frida Kahlo, and Miguel Covarrubias appreciated the minimalist qualities of Chontal art. Covarrubias went so far as to compare it to the Cycladic style of ancient Greece.
Condition: Age-commensurate surface wear, with minor nicks to top of head, otherwise intact and excellent. Light earthen deposits within recessed areas.
Provenance: private Stagecoach, Nevada, USA collection; acquired from 1985 to present from galleries such as Arte Primitivo, Art For Eternity, Butterfields, and Riverbend Gallery
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