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Seated Figure
Public Domain

Mezcala

Seated Figure

Mezcala, 500 - 200 BCE

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Mezcala

Seated Figure

Mezcala, 500 - 200 BCE

Physical Qualities Volcanic rock, possibly andesite, 5 5/16 × 2 3/8 × 3 9/16 in. (13.5 × 6 × 9 cm.)
Credit Line Gift of the Austen-Stokes Ancient Americas Foundation, Upper Nyack, New York
Object Number 2005.33
Mezcala refers to the style and tradition of stone sculpture produced in Formative Period (1200 B.C. - A.D. 200) Guerrero, Mexico. The Mezcala tradition includes a disparate range of forms that include standing and seated figures, masks and face panels, temple facade models, musical instruments, miniaturized animals, reptiles, and birds. Mezcala stone sculpture is recognizable for its emphasis on volume which was manipulated with minimal carving details. Sculptors carved just enough of the cobble, celt, or pebble to animate and enhance its stoniness. Such minimalism inspired the likes of Diego Rivera, Miguel Covarrubias, and notably Milton Loef who amassed large collections.
The Baltimore Museum of Art by gift, 2005; Austen-Stokes Ancient Americas Foundation; Purchased at Lands Beyond, Ltd., 1218 Lexington Avenue, New York, NY 10028

Explore the Collection Further

Mezcala
Miniature temple
500 - 200 BCE
Shirley Gorelick
Seated Figure
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Mezcala
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500 - 200 BCE
Denis-Auguste-Marie Raffet and Auguste Delâtre
Landscape with Figure Seated on a Hillside [top]; Landscape with Figures near a Cross [bottom]
n.d.
Denis-Auguste-Marie Raffet and Auguste Delâtre
Landscape with Figure Seated on a Hillside
n.d.
Chontal and Mezcala
Head
300 BCE-CE 100
Denis-Auguste-Marie Raffet
Landscape with Figure Seated on a Hillside
n.d.
Henri Matisse
Seated Figure on a Flowered Background
1929