Pre-Columbian, Southern Mexico, Guerrero region, Mezcala culture, ca. 400 to 100 BCE. A large and pretty example of a hand-carved greenstone axe god of the Type M-22 that presents with abstract anthropomorphic features. The stylized figure stands with delineated, string-cut legs and holds both arms atop the slightly bulging stomach. A rounded chest with angular shoulders and a broad neck supports the oversized, bulbous head. The minimalist visage exhibits string-cut grooves denoting the eyes and brows, nasolabial folds, and mouth. The top of the head has clefts to indicate a headdress or coiffure, and two slight tabs below the bulging forehead add the appearance of ears. The stone is a smooth mottled green-gray hue with brown speckles and beige mineral deposits. Size: 5.25" L x 2" W (13.3 cm x 5.1 cm); 5.5" H (14 cm) on included custom stand.

This particular Mezcala axe god exhibits features characteristic of M-22/M-24 Mezcala figures. The Mezcala style underwent a gradual evolutionary process, and M-22/M-24 were among the most advanced of the Mezcala types. The Mezcala sculptors brilliantly used string-saw technology to differentiate facial features and limbs. The ancient artisans of this region were particularly adept at reducing the human body to eloquent, minimalist forms via this string cut technique. The result ironically appeals to a modernist taste for minimalism. Mezcala sculptural works are equally appealing for the inherent beauty of the stone selected by the ancients

Provenance: private New York, New York, USA collection; ex private L.M. collection, Illinois, USA, by inheritance 1990s

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#167967

Intact and excellent. Minor abrasions. Light mineral and earthen deposits on surface. Polished and nice coloration throughout.