Mexico; Teotihuacan
Greenstone
H. 16 1/8 in. (41 cm)
The Michael C. Rockefeller Memorial Collection, Bequest of Nelson A. Rockefeller, 1979 (1979.206.585)
The figural sculpture of Teotihuacan, a large, cosmopolitan, and politically powerful city, emphasized idealized forms and restrained expression. Economy of line typifies the well-known works, such as the male and female sculptures and the array of masks that are stylistically identified with the ancient metropolis. This figure exemplifies the idealized Teotihuacan type. Yet at the same time, the defined modeling of the head, torso, and arms contrasts with the reduced form more characteristic of the style. It is possible that works such as these stone figures and masks originally had inlaid eyes and teeth, probably shell and obsidian inlays, and that they were actually dressed for special occasions.
