Mezcala Greenstone Amorphous Anthropomorphic Figure – Guerrero, Mexico, Circa 600–200 BCE

A Pre-Columbian Mezcala greenstone anthropomorphic figure from the Guerrero region of southern Mexico, dating approximately 600–200 BCE. Minimalistic and highly abstracted, the figure is formed via string-cut notches and grooves to indicate the legs and head — a technique emblematic of the Mezcala lapidary tradition and its radical reduction of the human form to its essential geometry.

The Mezcala culture of Guerrero produced some of the most strikingly abstract stone sculpture in the ancient Americas. Their figures, carved from hard stones including greenstone, serpentine, and granite, are characterized by schematized forms, incised facial features, and a modernist sensibility that has long attracted collectors and institutions alike. Works of this type were likely used in ritual or funerary contexts.

Details

Culture: Mezcala, Guerrero, Southern Mexico
Period: Circa 600–200 BCE
Material: Greenstone
Figure dimensions: 2¼ in L × 1 in W × 5 in H
With custom stand: 5¼ in H (stand included)

Provenance

Private Hawaii, USA collection.
Ex-private San Francisco, California, USA collection; acquired before 2000.