About the Object

Mezcala standing figures such as the work here were often carved from green stone and recycled from a celt, or hand axe. This particular figure has a flat head and face, discernable eyebrow ridges, and nose and mouth that may reveal some stylistic similarities to Olmec figures. The figure’s body has cuts to indicate arms, while the legs have been fashioned from the blade of the original celt by using stone tools and possibly thread. Together these elements indicate the object was created about halfway through the Mezcala tradition.

Additional Information

Originating in what is now the western Mexican state of Guerrero, the Mezcala-Chontal traditions endured for centuries and may even have been excavated from earlier sites by later Mesoamerican “archaeologists” such as the Mexica (Aztecs), who were known to uncover and re-incorporate earlier objects for reburial at the base of pyramids and temples.