**First Time At Auction**

Pre-Columbian, Mexico, Guerrero, Mezcala culture, ca. 400 to 100 BCE. Hand carved and skillfully string cut from a single stone of a deep green hue, an anthropomorphic axe god figure rendered in a characteristically abstract and minimalistic manner - its face delineated with depressions for eye sockets and a wide open mouth with triangular raised 'nose' bridging them. The crested nose, gently plateaued brow line, and bulbous forehead are distinct to the stylizations of Mezcala sculptors. The neckline and legs are merely suggested with minimal detail, and the body generally displays smooth contours. The ancient artisans of this region were particularly adept at reducing the human body to simple, eloquent forms via this string cut technique. The result ironically appeals to a modernist taste for minimalism. Size: 1.75" W x 4" H (4.4 cm x 10.2 cm)

Provenance: private southwestern Pennsylvania, USA collection, acquired prior to 2000

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#155428

Intact with rich patina. Surface has been smoothed with age and has light wear commensurate with age.