About the Object

Carved from an unidentified green stone, this Chontal standing figure has distinctive facial features. These include a flat head, eyes, nose, and mouth, which are all similar in style to Olmec face masks. Interestingly, this figure retains traces of paint with cinnabar. This may indicate that other Chontal/Mezcala figures were originally painted or altered with color.

Additional Information

This Chontal figure is remarkably unique as it blends attributes of Olmec and more local Chontal traditions. While this figure too was probably recycled from an earlier stone celt, or hand axe, the Olmec qualities and use of cinnabar reveal existence of trade or cultural interactions between Guerrero in western Mexico and Olmec areas centered along the coast of the Gulf of Mexico.