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HOME :
Pre-Columbian Art :
Mezcala Art : Mezcala Stone Standing Figure
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Mezcala Stone Standing Figure - PF.2346
Origin: Guerrero, Mexico
Circa: 300
BC
to 100
BC
Dimensions:
5.125" (13.0cm) high
Collection: Pre-Columbian
Medium: Stone
Location: United States
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| Description |
The people of Ancient Mezcala, a region in the
central portion of the Mexican state of Guerrero,
developed a unique art style based on the cult of
the votive Celt, an axe used for hafting.
Although the Mezcala culture probably sprang
from the same roots as the ancient Olmec, their
relative isolation in the mountain valleys resulted
in a stone-centered artistic culture, which
developed and flourished independent of
neighboring influences. As evidenced in this
striking celt, carved in the form of a male figure,
their highly stylized and abstract form of
rendering resulted in a powerful image, one that
instantly evokes spiritual magnetism and energy.
The skilled abstraction of form which highlights
and accentuates only the essence of the object is
reminiscent of ancient Cycladic art of 4000 years
ago as well as early Twentieth-Century art, and
in fact served to inspire these early cubist and
abstract artists. The ancient utilitarian function
of this carved figure can still be seen. This
roughened edge on the head of the figure, when
combined with the smooth polished finish of the
face and body, gives a distinctive tactile quality
to this ancient and spirited figure. To hold this
extraordinary stone carving is to reach across
time and space and capture the sensory spirit of
the ancient culture that created it.
- (PF.2346)
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