Pre-Columbian, southern Mexico, Guerrero region, Olmec culture, ca. 1000 to 600 BCE. An exceptional pair of stone artifacts from ancient Olmec culture: an orthoclase jade figure and a marble bowl. First, the finely carved and string cut figure stands on hefty feet with incised toes and thick legs, slightly bent at the knees, as both arms fall to the sides of his broad torso. Boasting natural hues of fern and olive with natural cream striations, the ancient figure presents a characteristically elongated head supported by square shoulders. His expressive visage exhibits jowly 'babyface' cheeks and a were-jaguar mouth, a relatively naturalistic nose with incised nostrils, sunken eyes, and a large, domed forehead, all flanked by a pair of lengthy ears perforated by drill holes for holding ornaments. Alternatively, the smoothly sculpted marble bowl features a heavy, circular base and thick walls that gently curve outwards to an annular, recessed rim, all enveloped in shades of charcoal and ash greys with natural bands of white. This vessel's sturdy base and smooth interior indicate that it may have been used as a mortar for mixing foods, medicines, or other ingredients. Size (of bowl): 4.625" in diameter x 3.25" H (11.7 cm x 8.3 cm); Size (of figure): 2" W x 4.375" H (5.1 cm x 11.1 cm)

The first major civilization in Meso-America was that of the Olmec. They established themselves in the tropical lowlands of south-central Mexico around 1500 BCE. The Olmec were very advanced, with monumental architecture, colossal statuary, votive statues, and an aristocracy that enjoyed fine objects of personal adornment carved from stone. They also were among the first Mesoamerican peoples to use stone in sculpture even though it had to be quarried in distant mountains and went to great lengths to attain greenstone, such as that used for this figure.

To the Olmecs, statuettes like this example carried many meanings, not all of which are obvious to us today; however, scholars surmise that the color green was associated with vibrant growth, renewal, and given the cyclical conception of life and death, rejuvenation after death.

This piece has been searched against the Art Loss Register database and has been cleared. The Art Loss Register maintains the world’s largest database of stolen art, collectibles, and antiques.

Provenance: ex-private Saint Petersburg, Florida, USA collection; ex-private Texas, USA collection, formed prior to 1970, purportedly found together in the region of Paso Morelos, Guerrero, Mexico in the 1960s

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#163691

Both have expected surface wear with a few nicks and abrasions, commensurate with age. Iron oxide staining on figure. Chip to figure's proper left arm. Otherwise, bowl is intact and both are excellent with numerous calcifications, mineral and soil deposits.