This beautiful Olmec stone pendant/pectoral is
carved delicately and polished to achieve a
serene grace. The delicate carvings form the
most gentle and sophisticated facial features,
which also cast soft, almost mystical shadows.
The slight indentations indicate the eyebrows,
cheeks and the chin. The large mouth and the
nose are perfectly aligned with the vertical
sculptural form on the forehead that create a
symmetry. Such magnificent sculpture manifests
a fascinating Olmec legend. The sculpture
features large, fleshy lips of which the upper part
is curled upward, like that of a feline. This
unusual facial feature is a sign of an Olmec
legend about the jaguar baby. Babies born with
this feline, jaguar, features were considered as
possessing powers of a god and, thus, were
treated in special ways. It is no surprise that
people of Olmec culture so lovingly carved this
beautiful sculpture with jaguar's attributes. Such
a fascinating tale and the strong, mesmerizing
artistic qualities of the stone pendant/pectoral
seem to grab and demand our attention even
today.
- (PF.3470)
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