Large Guerrero Mezcala Stone Axe God
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Description
**Originally Listed At $1200**
Pre-Columbian, Mexico, Guerrero, Mezcala, ca. 500 to 200 BCE. A Mezcala standing anthropomorphic figure, finely carved and string cut from mottled greenstone, displaying an elegant minimalist aesthetic and presenting an unusual form that fits somewhere between and M-8 type -with its broader, flatter face, sloping cheek planes that meet in the central vertical ridge which suggests a nose, and the flatter temporal region- and an M-10 type, which according to expert Carlo Gay showed significant changes advancing them over the previous four types. For instance, note how the flat plane across the lower section of the face is an uninterrupted area as opposed to the narrow, slit mouth of earlier figures. An unusual example, created from an inherently attractive stone of stunning dark green coloration with black and grey mottled intrusions. Custom, museum-quality stand. Size: 3.125" W x 9.5" H (7.9 cm x 24.1 cm); 9.875" H (25.1 cm) on stand
According to Gay, "At its best, the M-10 type epitomizes Mezcala sculpture, representing an optimal solution to carving a viable portrayal of the human figure in an intractable material and with simple tools." (Carlo Gay, Mezcala Ancient Stone Sculpture from Guerrero Mexico. New York: Balsas Publications, 1992 p. 51). For a similar example, see plate 33 on p. 51 of Gay's text.
Provenance: private collection of the late Peter Arnovick, San Francisco, California, USA
All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back.
A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids.
We ship worldwide to most countries and handle all shipping in-house for your convenience.
#123440
Pre-Columbian, Mexico, Guerrero, Mezcala, ca. 500 to 200 BCE. A Mezcala standing anthropomorphic figure, finely carved and string cut from mottled greenstone, displaying an elegant minimalist aesthetic and presenting an unusual form that fits somewhere between and M-8 type -with its broader, flatter face, sloping cheek planes that meet in the central vertical ridge which suggests a nose, and the flatter temporal region- and an M-10 type, which according to expert Carlo Gay showed significant changes advancing them over the previous four types. For instance, note how the flat plane across the lower section of the face is an uninterrupted area as opposed to the narrow, slit mouth of earlier figures. An unusual example, created from an inherently attractive stone of stunning dark green coloration with black and grey mottled intrusions. Custom, museum-quality stand. Size: 3.125" W x 9.5" H (7.9 cm x 24.1 cm); 9.875" H (25.1 cm) on stand
According to Gay, "At its best, the M-10 type epitomizes Mezcala sculpture, representing an optimal solution to carving a viable portrayal of the human figure in an intractable material and with simple tools." (Carlo Gay, Mezcala Ancient Stone Sculpture from Guerrero Mexico. New York: Balsas Publications, 1992 p. 51). For a similar example, see plate 33 on p. 51 of Gay's text.
Provenance: private collection of the late Peter Arnovick, San Francisco, California, USA
All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back.
A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids.
We ship worldwide to most countries and handle all shipping in-house for your convenience.
#123440
Condition
A few chips to the upper end of the head, most on the back side, a few nicks here and there on the body.
Buyer's Premium
- 24.5%
Large Guerrero Mezcala Stone Axe God
Estimate $1,500 - $2,250
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Item located in Louisville, CO, usSee Policy for Shipping
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