Initial Reaction:
The sculpture is based off the human form - having an upright stance with all of the appropriate body parts. However, the mouth seems to be distorted and more animalistic. It looks as though the mouth is much larger than it should be and that there are tusks included. The head of the sculpture is a much larger proportion, than it should be, compared to the body. The head takes up the same amount of space as the body - in reality, the body would take up the majority of the space. The expression of the sculpture seems to be content, while the mouth shows more aggression. The whole piece is a gray-green tone. The line work is smooth and precise, with natural cracks in the stone giving it a more earthy feel. Difference in the depth of sculpting between the head and body makes the body parts more difficult to depict. If the carving of the arms and feet were as deep as the eyes and nose, it would be easier to visualize the body. The figure looks to be holding an object, but it may just have its arms crossed in a peculiar way.
After Research:
Kunz Axe of the Olmec culture (c. 1000 BCE). The sculpture is considered to be a votive; an object used in rituals. It was made of jadeite due to the Mesoamerican people considering it to be a valuable material. Jadeite is a hard stone and to carve into it is a task. It would have taken the sculptor a long amount of time to carve this statue. The sculpture is considered a half-human and half-beast. The mouth is typically compared to that of a jaguar, but is always considered to be that of an animal instead of a human. The sculpture was created based on either an Olmec god or important tribe leader. The initial reaction about the sculpture possibly being a human-animal hybrid was correct. Post-research helps one appreciate the piece more. Knowing the hard work and time it would have taken to get this sculpture to the product it is now, without modern tools, is astonishing.
Sources:
Video - https://smarthistory.org/kunz-axe-olmec/
Book - Art Beyond the West: Second Edition by Michael Kampen-O'Riley
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