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Frieze Masters 2025

Past exhibition
15 - 18 October 2025
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Open a larger version of the following image in a popup: Olmec Culture, Olmec abstract Rain God mask pendant, Guerrero, 700-300 BC

Olmec Culture Mexico, Circa. 1200 BC-Circa. 400 BC

Olmec abstract Rain God mask pendant, Guerrero, 700-300 BC
Veined dark-green altered serpentine
15 x 16 cm
5'9" x 6'2" in.
OLM0008
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At first glance, the face of this extraordinary stylized supernatural deity exudes a remarkably modern allure. The round visage, rendered in a flat and meticulously polished serpentine, gleams in the...
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At first glance, the face of this extraordinary stylized supernatural deity exudes a remarkably modern allure. The round visage, rendered in a flat and meticulously polished serpentine, gleams in the light. The presence of two gracefully detachable stone L-shaped elements, likely originally affixed to the artifact, alludes to the classical flame eyebrows reminiscent of Harpy Eagle feathers, which are associated with the representation of the Olmec Rain God. The horizontal section of the eyebrows is intricately engraved with three spiral motifs, imparting a cloud-like effect to the stone's surface.
pon closer examination of the head's shape, it becomes evident that it is fashioned after an axe, with the heel positioned at the top and the edge at the bottom. This minimalist design offers a symbolic equivalence between the deity's face and an anthropomorphic axe, reminiscent of the iconic Kunz Axe.


A similar mask is preserved at the Metropolitan Museum of New York (Ref. 1984.1a - c).


https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/314775



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