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Product Description
ITEM #
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PC119
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ID
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Ceramic Figure
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FOUND
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Central America
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AGE
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1500 B.C. - 400 B.C.
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SIZE
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5.25" and 4.75" high
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CONDITION
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NO REPAIR OR RESTORATION - EACH HEAD
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NOTE
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PRE-COLUMBIAN OLMEC ANCIENT ART
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INCLUDES STANDS - Actual Item - One Only
Comes with a certificate of authenticity / information sheet |
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Because it was the "first" Pre-Columbian culture of the region and venerated by, as well as influenced so many later Pre-Columbian civilizations, objects from the Olmec enigmatic civilization are highly prized amongst seasoned collectors. The sudden appearance of this highly developed culture which produced the mysterious colossal stone heads, still puzzles scientists with many unanswered questions. Where they came from and where they disappeared to remains a mystery today. They were a legendary people even in ancient times and were revered by many Pre-Columbian cultures that followed them. Their artifacts are in strong demand today just as much as they were in the Mayan and Aztec periods.
Originally part of large hollow ceramic figurines, this is an MUSEUM-CLASS pair of two spectacular Olmec ceramic heads of large "Baby-Face" figurines, a style that is UNIQUE to Olmec art and influence. One is made of white slip and the other of a red ceramic, each show beautiful detail and alien-like elongated heads, another typical trait found in Olmec art. Nearly every major auction in the world CONSISTENTLY sells Olmec figures for astonishing prices and the figurines these heads would have come from would easily sell for in the high 5 to low 6 figure price range!!! BOTH are SUPERB examples that are 100% ORIGINAL. The white example has age cracks but has been left in its natural, un-restored form. The orange one is intact as shown. Both display impacted sediment and mineral patina deep in microscopic crevices - traits ONLY seen in 100% AUTHENTIC SPECIMENS. WITHOUT ANY REPAIR OR RESTORATION. Includes our written unconditional lifetime certificate of GUARANTEED AUTHENTICITY.
The Olmec Culture is considered to be the first complex society in Mesoamerica. The Olmecs were an ancient Pre-Columbian civilization that once lived in the tropical lowlands of south-central Mexico.
The Olmec are best known for the enormous helmeted heads they left behind, each carved from of a single massive rock boulder. There is no known Pre-Columbian text that describes or mentions the reason or presence of these megalithic art structures and they have been the subject of much speculation. Some have theorized they were ballplayers but current belief is that they are portraits of rulers. Some have even described the heads as being effigies of ancient astronauts from another galaxy. How they were made or transported by such an early civilization, remains a complete mystery. The heads are all unique in their facial features but all have distinct, common elements in the helmet styles. The Olmecs can be considered the "mother culture" for all subsequent Pre-Columbian cultures of Mesoamerica.
In addition to their influence as the first civilization in Mesoamerica, the Olmecs are credited, or speculatively credited, with many "firsts", including the practice of bloodletting (and perhaps human sacrifice), writing and epigraphy. They are also credited with the invention of the concept of 'zero' and the Mesoamerican calendar, as well as the Mesoamerican ballgame and even perhaps, the compass.
The Olmec culture was first defined as an art style, and this continues to be the hallmark of the culture. Handworks were made in a variety of media such as jade, clay, basalt, and greenstone, for example. Many examples of Olmec art are surprisingly naturalistic. Other art expresses fantastic anthropomorphic creatures, often highly stylized, using an iconography reflective of a religious meaning. Their grasp of human anatomy and emotion is unrivaled by any other Pre-Columbian culture of Mesoamerica.