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SKU: PS2404

Mezcala M18 type Green Stone Figure, Late Preclassic Period, ca. 300 - 100 BCE

Sale price2,250 USD

This object qualifies for free USA shipping and a flat rate fee of $60 if shipping internationally.

This statuette, carved from dark green metadiorite, is a characteristic example of the M18 type of Mezcala figures. It features a sturdy build with short, separated legs and arms that are grooved and folded against a well-defined torso. The large, tapered head displays deeply carved facial grooves typical of this type, with a horizontal mouth, a large rounded nose, and indented eyes.

Sculpture models like these comprise part of the Mezcala artistic tradition, known for its abstract, geometric renderings of human, animal, and architectural forms in hard stone. Through painstaking drilling, sawing, and polishing with stone tools, master artisans elicited clean, elegant lines from unyielding materials like andesite and metadiorite. Named for the region of Guerrero, Mexico, these effigies have long attracted attention for the beauty of their simplicity. Cf. Gay, C. and Pratt, F., Mezcala: Ancient Stone Sculpture from Guerrero, Mexico. Geneva: Balsas Publications, 1992, pl. 62). Type M18 figures are distinguished from other styles in that they are formed from river cobbles, rather than the celt forms showing roughened tops of the heads. 

Medium: Green metadiorite

Dimensions: Height: 5 1/4 inches (13.3 cm), Width: 2 1/2 inches (6.3 cm)

Condition: Excellent, intact, nice carving, and overall polish. Classic roughened texture on the head and areas with small amounts of encrustation.

Provenance: Fernandez Family collection, acquired by Ricardo Fernandez in the 1940s - 1960s. Mr. Fernandez permanently moved his collection to Miami, FL in the 1960s. Privately sold in 2015 to a southwest collection. Copy of provenance letter available.

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Mezcala M18 type Green Stone Figure, Late Preclassic Period, ca. 300 - 100 BCE
Mezcala M18 type Green Stone Figure, Late Preclassic Period, ca. 300 - 100 BCE Sale price2,250 USD

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