About the Object

The pronounced eye cavities, horizontally cut mouth, and the deep carving that created the legs of this Mezcala figure are some of the features that distinguish this work along with the high vertical cut indicating the legs, which nearly reaches the work’s subtly shaped arms. These features have all been carved here from green stone and were probably created during the early to middle periods of the Mezcala-Chontal tradition. The use of the handle of the celt for the head and the blade for the remaining parts of the body is significantly connected with the Mezcala tradition of carvers; some scholars argue that the Chontal would later invert this when creating their figures.

Additional Information

A great deal remains unknown about Mezcala-Chontal traditions originating in what is now the Mexican state of Guerrero due to a lack of archaeological excavation and analysis. However, interest in such extraordinary abstract forms has been generated over the past few decades and scholars are now beginning to glean more knowledge about these remarkable traditions and their context within the broader Mesoamerican world.