Axe-figure
Axe-Figure
Mezcala
About 500–200 B.C.
Mexico, Guerrero
Stone
Funds from Edward L. Luben, 1984.322
The Mezcala River region in the state of Guerrero was home to a major Preclassic stone sculpture tradition. Male and female human figures, masks, animals, and colonnaded structures were carved in an abstract, minimally detailed style. Many were buried in offering caches, but they may have served ritual purposes prior to their deposition. Over a millennium later, the Aztecs echoed this practice, burying stone sculptures from Guerrero in offering deposits at the Great Temple of Tenochtitlán (now Mexico City).
This exceptionally large Mezcala figure is carved from a stone axe, or celt, and retains its essential form; the axe butt forms the top of the figure’s head, while the blade is at the bottom. Smooth cuts define the head, torso and legs, as well as the arms and facial features. The expression is impassive and dignified.
