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Bird

Place of OriginMexico, Veracruz or Guerrero
Date12th-9th century BCE
DimensionsH: 6 5/8 in. (16.8 cm); L: 6 3/4 in. (17.1 cm); Thickness: 4 in. (10.2 cm)
MediumBlack stone.
ClassificationSculpture
Credit LinePurchased with funds from the Libbey Endowment, Gift of Edward Drummond Libbey
Object number
1949.77
Not on View
Label TextThis stone avian figure exemplifies the influence of Olmec artistic styles on the wider Mesoamerican region, extending into Veracruz and Guerrero. The figure resembles Olmec ceramic effigy figures in its configuration, proportions, and distinctive stylized features. The Olmec style, often considered the foundation of Mesoamerican art, spread across western and southern Mexico, and this figure reflects that cultural diffusion despite being carved from stone rather than ceramic. The figure displays a large head with a rectangular beak, possibly evoking a predatory bird such as a harpy eagle. Its body is dominated by wings adorned with individually depicted solid feathers, a stylistic element common in Olmec representations of avian predators.Exhibition HistoryMusée de l'Homme, Paris, Exhibition of Pre-Columbian Art, 1947.

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