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Important Olmec figure of Olmec ethnic dignitary from the preclassic period

$14,868.30

$18,585.3720% Off

£10,910.49

£13,638.1120% Off

€12,360

€15,45020% Off

CA$20,213.11

CA$25,266.3820% Off

A$22,641.28

A$28,301.6020% Off

CHF 11,770.95

CHF 14,713.6820% Off

MX$279,574.22

MX$349,467.7820% Off

NOK 149,952.61

NOK 187,440.7620% Off

SEK 141,756.86

SEK 177,196.0820% Off

DKK 94,081.82

DKK 117,602.2820% Off

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About the Item

Important Olmec figure of Olmec ethnic dignitary from the preclassic period (2500-200 BC) Important Olmec figure of dignitary of the Olmec ethnic group of the preclassic period (2500-200 BC) Green serpentine, white, yellow veins, shiny surface. Height 24.5 cm. Weight: 1446 g Large character sculpted in a magnificent greenish blue serpentine veined with white. He is standing with his legs slightly bent. His arms hang along the trunk, the hands are represented with folded fingers closed by two straight thumbs. His heavy round shoulders are surmounted by a head with a prognathous chin, the lips drawn in the pure Olmec tradition (upper lip down). Two small, hollow, almond-shaped eyes surround a long, aquiline nose with flaring nostrils. On the sides, the presence of rectangular ears. This statue is exceptional for its size, for the force that emerges from it and finally for its exceptional state of preservation. The Olmec civilization, more concerned with the gods than with men, is not characterized by representations of the human body. This excellently crafted anthropomorphic sculpture displays well-represented anatomical details. Therefore, we should not think that it is a free representation of the human body. On the contrary, it is almost certain that this piece was used in a ritual to represent a god or to attach the attributes of some deities such as necklaces or ornaments. It is dated to the Middle Preclassic for obvious stylistic reasons. This piece is an excellent example of Olmec stone art. Among some of its physical characteristics, the following stand out: apparently “it had two fleshy bulges on the sides of the nose. The almond-shaped eyes are large and slightly oblique, with the outer corners down; THE PEOPLE OF THE JAGUAR. More than 3,000 years ago, between 1,200 and 400 B.C., Mesoamerica saw the rise and fall of the Olmec culture, one of the great civilizations of ancient Mexico. The Olmecs, “those who inhabit the land of rubber”, were capable of collecting and synthesizing the cultural patterns that had developed in the area for centuries. Even after the fall of its great centers, its achievements would be an important part of Mesoamerican culture. Among the contributions that have led to the consideration of the Olmec as the "mother culture" of Mesoamerica are the first ceremonial buildings built according to a well-determined plan; the social structure, capable of organizing large works; the first and well-defined artistic style, embodied in small objects as well as in colossal sculptures; mastery of carving very hard stones; a fundamental ritual: the ball game; as well as the development of calendrical and writing systems. The humid lands of southern Veracruz and western Tabasco were the setting where the Olmec culture expressed itself most intensely. Most of the known monumental sculpture—colossal heads, altars or thrones, stelae, and other stone-carved monuments—was found in that region. In a period of little more than 800 years (between 1200 and 400 B.C.), in this rich environment the most important Olmec sites that are known today arose, developed and finally decayed, such as San Lorenzo, Laguna de los Cerros, La Sale and Three Zapotes. Although the precise number of archaeological sites in the area is not yet known, the Olmec population density was quite high. Most of the populations were located on low hills or plateaus, close to rivers, which allowed immediate access to the fertile floodplains. ORIGIN: Acquired by the Valdivielso family in the 1960s. Inherited to his children Exhibitions:Grisalla Valladolid Art Gallery BIBLIOGRAPHY. Alcina Franch, Jose. ARCHAEOLOGISTS OR ANTIQUE DEALERS, Ancient History of Archeology in Spanish America, Ediciones del Serbal, 1995. De la Fuente, Beatriz. "THE MEN OF STONE, OLMEC SCULPTURE", National Autonomous University of Mexico, Mexico, 1977. Medellin Zenil, Alfonso. CORPUS ANTIQUITATUM AMERICANENSIUM, "Olmec monoliths and others in the museum of the University of Veracruz", National Institute of Anthropology and History, International Academic Union, Mexico, 1971. Figures de Pierre, Paris, 1992, fig. 3, p. 31. Mezcala, Carlo Gay and Frances Pratt, Geneva, 1992, p. 213, fig. 253. L'Art Précolombien, Olmèque, Maya, Aztèque, Lausanne, 1997, p. 76. Mexico Terre des Dieux, Genève, 1998, p.34, plate 15. Chontal, Ancient stone sculpture from Guerrero Mexico, Geneva, 2001, p. 109, plate n°164. Au coeur de l'Amérique Précolombienne, 2003, p. 64, fig. 9. Catalog de la Vente Binoche, March 14, 2005, lot n°8. Exhibition "Figures de Pierre, L'Art du Guerrero", Paris, 1992. Mexico, Terre des Dieux, Genève, 1998. Museum of Anthropology of Xalapa, Veracruz. Mexico.

Dimensions:
Height: 2.76 in (7 cm)Width: 3.55 in (9 cm)Depth: 9.45 in (24 cm)
Materials and Techniques:
Precious Stone
Period:
15th Century and Earlier
Date of Manufacture:
200
Condition:
Seller Location:
Madrid, ES
Reference Number:
1stDibs: LU5779235213582

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