Mezcala Stone Standing Figure - PF.5559,Origin: Guerrero, Mexico,Circa: 300 BC to 300 AD,Dimensions: 7.625" (19.4cm) high,Collection: Pre-Columbian,Style: Mezcala,Medium: Stone. While the path of civilization continues moving forward, this work reminds us how little we have evolved. Superstition still pervades our modern society and our understanding of the universe and science still cannot provide the ultimate answers we long for. God is still the great unknown, be it scientific or religious. God will always exist at the limits of our understanding. Like a miniature Easter Island idol, this stone figure stands with open legs, folded arms, and protruding jaw and forehead. Two indentations are carved where the inlaid eyes would have been placed. The actual contours of the statue echo the form of a phallus, linking the necessity of procreation and the survival of the species with a vulnerability to the elements and the wrath of the gods. No doubt, the creation of gods serves to alleviate anxiety and imbed mankind with a sense of control over nature and his own being. When one became sick from an unknown diseases or when crops died for unknown reasons, an idol like this one would be prayed to, sacrifices would be made in its honor, all in order to try and change the course of nature and extend the path of civilization one step further.
Antiquities Ancient Central America & Mexico
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