Xochipala Terracotta Sculpture of a Man - CK.0609, Origin: Western Mexico, Circa: 1050 BC to 500 BC, Dimensions: 6.625" (16.8cm) high x 1.825" (4.6cm) wide, Collection:  More »

Xochipala Terracotta Sculpture of a Man - CK.0609, Origin: Western Mexico, Circa: 1050 BC to 500 BC, Dimensions: 6.625" (16.8cm) high x 1.825" (4.6cm) wide, Collection: Pre-Columbian, Style: Xochipala, Medium: Terracotta.   « Less

Xochipala Terracotta Sculpture of a Woman - CK.0610, Origin: Western Mexico, Circa: 1050 BC to 500 BC, Dimensions: 5" (12.7cm) high x 1.5" (3.8cm) wide, Collection:  More »

Xochipala Terracotta Sculpture of a Woman - CK.0610, Origin: Western Mexico, Circa: 1050 BC to 500 BC, Dimensions: 5" (12.7cm) high x 1.5" (3.8cm) wide, Collection: Pre-Columbian, Style: Xochipala, Medium: Terracotta.   « Less

Xochipala Terracotta Seated Figurine - CK.0741, Origin: Western Mexico, Circa: 1050 BC to 500 BC, Dimensions: 3.375" (8.6cm) high x 1.5" (3.8cm) wide x 2" (5.1cm) depth,  More »

Xochipala Terracotta Seated Figurine - CK.0741, Origin: Western Mexico, Circa: 1050 BC to 500 BC, Dimensions: 3.375" (8.6cm) high x 1.5" (3.8cm) wide x 2" (5.1cm) depth, Collection: Pre-Columbian. Style: Xochipala, Medium: Terracotta.   « Less

Xochipala Terracotta Seated Figurine - CK.0742, Origin: Western Mexico, Circa: 1050 BC to 500 BC, Dimensions: 3.25" (8.3cm) high x 1.875" (4.8cm) wide x 2.75" (7.0cm) depth,  More »

Xochipala Terracotta Seated Figurine - CK.0742, Origin: Western Mexico, Circa: 1050 BC to 500 BC, Dimensions: 3.25" (8.3cm) high x 1.875" (4.8cm) wide x 2.75" (7.0cm) depth, Collection: Pre-Columbian, Style: Xochipala, Medium: Terracotta.   « Less

Xochipala Terracotta Seated Figurine - CK.0743, Origin: Western Mexico, Circa: 1050 BC to 500 BC, Dimensions: 3.5" (8.9cm) high x 1.625" (4.1cm) wide x 2.25" (5.7cm) depth,  More »

Xochipala Terracotta Seated Figurine - CK.0743, Origin: Western Mexico, Circa: 1050 BC to 500 BC, Dimensions: 3.5" (8.9cm) high x 1.625" (4.1cm) wide x 2.25" (5.7cm) depth, Collection: Pre-Columbian, Style: Xochipala, Medium: Terracotta.   « Less

Olmec Seated Figure With Distended Jowls - PF.0223, Origin: Xochipala, Mexico, Circa: 1200 BC to 900 BC, Dimensions: 7.125" (18.1cm) high, Catalogue: V2, Collection:  More »

Olmec Seated Figure With Distended Jowls - PF.0223, Origin: Xochipala, Mexico, Circa: 1200 BC to 900 BC, Dimensions: 7.125" (18.1cm) high, Catalogue: V2, Collection: Pre-Columbian, Style: Olmec, Medium: Terracotta. Part baby, part monster, this grotesque bullfrog- like little creature probably served as an incense burner. It is possible that his sagging jowls and belly are the result of a medical condition, like those depicted in satirical English prints of the 18th Century. However, creatures like this were an integral part of Olmec art and religion, remnants of a mythological age when humans and animals mated. This fellow seems to come from an even earlier time, as if he were formed from the primeval ooze.   « Less

Olmec Sculpture of a Fantastic Creature - PF.0248, Origin: Xochipala, Mexico, Circa: 900 BC to 500 BC, Dimensions: 13" (33.0cm) high, Collection: Pre-Columbian, Style: Olmec,  More »

Olmec Sculpture of a Fantastic Creature - PF.0248, Origin: Xochipala, Mexico, Circa: 900 BC to 500 BC, Dimensions: 13" (33.0cm) high, Collection: Pre-Columbian, Style: Olmec, Medium: Terracotta. Enigmatic, magical, even disturbing, this unique sculpture touches a chord deep in the subconscious of every person who views it. How any individual reacts depends on personal experience--where one has been, what one knows and believes. It is impossible to be neutral or objective in describing it; the same features take on a myriad of meanings, the possiblities are infinite. Some have seen a Meso-American Jonah myth, a man struggling within a whale, the hollow space representing the stomach where he lives. Others see a shark-man, an alligator, an amphibious water spirit. Some believe it is a medical talisman designed to cure illness-- ulcers or cancer. A costumed shaman or a demon of the underworld have also been suggested. Perhaps it is the very first creature ever to climb above the primeval morass and declare itself to be human. In the presence of this extraordinary object, one is intrigued, mystified, challenged, but never bored. It opens a path to the past we may never have considered before.   « Less

Olmec Stone Sculpture of a Man Carrying a Child on His Back - PF.0253, Origin: Mexico, Circa: 900 BC to 450 BC, Dimensions: 7.875" (20.0cm) high, Catalogue: V1, Collection:  More »

Olmec Stone Sculpture of a Man Carrying a Child on His Back - PF.0253, Origin: Mexico, Circa: 900 BC to 450 BC, Dimensions: 7.875" (20.0cm) high, Catalogue: V1, Collection: Pre-Columbian, Style: Olmec, Medium: Stone. The world of the Olmec is so mysterious, so full of myth and magic, that we are uncertain if this powerful little statue of a man carrying a child represents part of their cosmology or merely a charming scene from daily life. The baby was a prominent fixture in the Olmec religion (frequently assuming supernatural characteristics), and yet every thriving culture recognizes the importance of the young for the continuity of life. We should let the mystery remain, and let the power of the sculpture affect us differently every time we see it.   « Less

Olmec Sculpture of a Seated Infant Were-Jaguar - PF.0256, Origin: Xochipala, Mexico, Circa: 1000 BC to 600 BC, Dimensions: 4.125" (10.5cm) high, Catalogue: V2, Collection:  More »

Olmec Sculpture of a Seated Infant Were-Jaguar - PF.0256, Origin: Xochipala, Mexico, Circa: 1000 BC to 600 BC, Dimensions: 4.125" (10.5cm) high, Catalogue: V2, Collection: Pre-Columbian, Style: Olmec, Medium: Terracotta. We are drawn to the hypnotic power of this little figure, whose startled features identify him as a were-creature, the offspring of man mated with beast. These supernatural babies were of central importance to the Olmec religion, though their exact significance has been lost--like the culture that created them--in the mists of time. In the presence of this intriquing baby we are transported to a world somehow younger, more primal and mysterious than our own.   « Less

Olmec Sculpture of a Standing Figure - PF.0273, Origin: Mexico, Circa: 900 BC to 450 BC, Dimensions: 9.25" (23.5cm) high x 5.75" (14.6cm) wide, Collection: Pre-Columbian,  More »

Olmec Sculpture of a Standing Figure - PF.0273, Origin: Mexico, Circa: 900 BC to 450 BC, Dimensions: 9.25" (23.5cm) high x 5.75" (14.6cm) wide, Collection: Pre-Columbian, Style: Olmec, Medium: Terracotta.   « Less