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HOME :
Pre-Columbian Art :
Olmec Art : Olmecoid Sculpture of a Seated Baby
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Olmecoid Sculpture of a Seated Baby - PF.0394
Origin: Guerrero, Mexico
Circa: 1200
BC
to 900
BC
Dimensions:
8" (20.3cm) high
Catalogue: V2
Collection: Pre-Columbian
Style: Olmecoid
Medium: Terracotta
Location: UAE
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| Description |
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The Olmecs are generally considered to be the ultimate
ancestor of all subsequent Mesoamerican civilisations. Thriving
between about 1200 and 400 BC, their base was the tropical
lowlands of south central Mexico, an area characterized by
swamps punctuated by low hill ridges and volcanoes. Here the
Olmecs practiced advanced farming techniques and
constructed permanent settlements. However, the
consolidation of their city-states led to notable cultural
influence far beyond their heartland, and throughout the
Mesoamerican region. It would appear that the Olmec style
became synonymous with elite status in other (predominantly
highland) groups, with evidence for exchange of artefacts in
both directions. A non-literate group, the Olmecs nevertheless
paved the way for the development of writing systems in the
loosely defined Epi- Olmec period (c. 500 BC). Further
innovations include arguably the first use of the zero, so
instrumental in the Maya long count vigesimal calendrical
system. They also appear to have been the originators of the
famous Mesoamerican ballgame so prevalent among later
cultures in the region, and either retained or invented several
religious symbols such as the feathered serpent and the rain
spirit, which persisted in subsequent and related cultures until
the middle ages.
Comparatively little is known of their magico- religious world,
although the clues that we have are tantalizing. The art forms
for which the Olmecs are best known, the monumental stone
heads weighing up to forty tons, are generally assumed to
pertain to some form of kingly leader or possibly an ancestor.
The smaller jade figures and celts are believed to be
domestically or institutionally based totems or divinities. The
quality of production is astonishing, particularly if one
considers the technology available for production, the early
date of the pieces, and the dearth of earlier works upon which
the Olmec sculptors could draw. Some pieces are highly
stylized, while others demonstrate striking naturalism.
The term “Olmecoid” refers to those unknown cultures that
lived on the periphery of the Olmec and were highly influenced
by their neighbor. As such, Olmecoid works of art reflect
stylistic tendencies characteristic of the greater Olmec culture,
albeit mixed with their own indigenous qualities. This plump
little figure with
his shock of orange hair leans forward to grab at
something that has caught his attention and
almost loses his balance. He seems to be
reaching for the entire world.
- (PF.0394)
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