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THBExceptional Guerrero Mezcala Calcite Figure Type M-22
Lot 182
About Seller
Artemis Gallery
686 S Taylor Ave, Ste 106
Louisville, CO 80027
United States
Selling antiquities, ancient and ethnographic art online since 1993, Artemis Gallery specializes in Classical Antiquities (Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Near Eastern), Asian, Pre-Columbian, African / Tribal / Oceanographic art. Our extensive inventory includes pottery, stone, metal, wood, glass and textil...Read more
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Live Auction in Progress ... Currently on Lot Estimate:
$12,000 - $18,000
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| $0 | $25 |
| $300 | $50 |
| $1,000 | $100 |
| $2,000 | $250 |
| $5,000 | $500 |
| $10,000 | $1,000 |
| $20,000 | $2,500 |
| $50,000 | $5,000 |
| $100,000 | $10,000 |
| $200,000 | $20,000 |
About Auction
Live
By Artemis Gallery
Oct 7, 2021
Set Reminder
2021-10-07 10:00:00
2021-10-07 10:00:00
America/New_York
Bidsquare
Bidsquare : Exceptional Antiquities Ethnographic Fine Art
https://www.bidsquare.com/auctions/artemis-gallery/exceptional-antiquities-ethnographic-fine-art-7537
Museum-worthy examples of Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Etruscan, Near Eastern, Far East / Asian, Pre-Columbian, African / Tribal, Oceanic, Native American, Spanish Colonial, Fossils, Ancient Jewelry, Fine / Visual Arts, so much more! Artemis Gallery info@artemisgallery.com
Museum-worthy examples of Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Etruscan, Near Eastern, Far East / Asian, Pre-Columbian, African / Tribal, Oceanic, Native American, Spanish Colonial, Fossils, Ancient Jewelry, Fine / Visual Arts, so much more! Artemis Gallery info@artemisgallery.com
View Full Catalog (371)
- Lot Description
Pre-Columbian, southern Mexico, Guerrero region, Mezcala culture, type M-22, ca. 600 to 200 BCE. A stunning example of a Mezcala type M-22 figure, hand-carved from dark gray calcite and exhibiting strong anthropomorphic characteristics. The substantial figure stands atop delineated legs with knees slightly bent, holds both enormous hands atop a slender waist, and has string-cut grooves separating the sides of the chest from the stocky arms and sloped shoulders. Atop the concave neck is a bulbous head exhibiting deep, string-cut eyes, diagonal nasolabial folds flanking the triangular nose, thin lips curled into almost a slight smirk, and tab-shaped ears, all beneath a swollen, protruding brow. The surfaces are covered with dense root marks and smooth caliche which confirms the advanced age of this piece. Typical M-22 figures are around 6 to 8 inches tall, so this aberrant example is one of exceeding rarity! Size: 4.25" W x 11.125" H (10.8 cm x 28.3 cm); 11.4" H (29 cm) on included custom stand.
This particular Mezcala figure exhibits features characteristic of M-22 Mezcala figures but on a greater and more unusual scale. The Mezcala style underwent a gradual evolutionary process, and M-22 were among the most advanced of the Mezcala types. The Mezcala sculptors brilliantly used string-saw technology to differentiate facial features and limbs. The ancient artisans of this region were particularly adept at reducing the human body to eloquent, minimalist forms via this string cut technique. The result ironically appeals to a modernist taste for minimalism. Mezcala sculptural works are equally appealing for the inherent beauty of the stone selected by the ancients.
Cf. Gay, Carlo and Frances Pratt. "Mezcala: Ancient Stone Sculpture from Guerrero, Mexico." Balsas Publications, Geneva, 1992, p. 90, plate 75
This piece has been searched against the Art Loss Register database and has been cleared. The Art Loss Register maintains the world's largest database of stolen art, collectibles, and antiques.
Provenance: ex-private Saint Petersburg, Florida, USA collection; ex-B.G. Malone collection, Houston, Texas, USA, collected in Mexico between 1963 and 1969, and imported into the US prior to 1970
All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back.
A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids.
PLEASE NOTE: Due to recent increases of shipments being seized by Australian & German customs (even for items with pre-UNESCO provenance), we will no longer ship most antiquities and ancient Chinese art to Australia & Germany. For categories of items that are acceptable to ship to Australia or Germany, please contact us directly or work with your local customs brokerage firm.
Display stands not described as included/custom in the item description are for photography purposes only and will not be included with the item upon shipping.
#167542Abrasions and encrustations across body, head, legs, and verso, with extensive root marks, small chips behind legs and head as well as along brow, and light softening to some finer details, otherwise intact and near-choice. Wonderful root marks and light caliche, and great preservation to strong figural form.Condition
- Shipping Info
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