Olmec Sculpture in Jadeite Representing a Were-Jaguar, c. 900 BC to 500 BC
Jadeite
19 x 9 x 13 cm
7 1/2 x 3 1/2 x 5 1/8 in
7 1/2 x 3 1/2 x 5 1/8 in
GM.0018
A beautiful example of Olmec Sculpture in jadeite. The beautiful colour of this stone was immensely valued by Olmecs. Jadeite is a rare variety of greenstone, and most probably originated...
A beautiful example of Olmec Sculpture in jadeite. The beautiful colour of this stone was immensely valued
by Olmecs. Jadeite is a rare variety of greenstone, and most probably originated from the Motagua River
valley in present-day Guatemala, the only known source of jadeite in ancient Mesoamerica. Jadeite is an
extremely dense rock with a relative hardness value equivalent to or even greater than that of steel.
Polished to a shine, this beautiful sculpture epitomizes the art of the Olmec culture. Created out of a light
green jadeite, the artistic rendering and the iconography are most interesting. The anatomy shows that the
artist had a basic understanding, yet kept the figure simple. The hands are joined under the face, yet they
contain nothing. The features on the face are carefully detailed yet the ears are gently molded onto the
face. Smooth to the touch, we realize that it still contains the beauty and elegance it carried at its first
creation.
This sculpture portrays the features commonly referred to as the “were-jaguar.” This name is used to
describe a characteristic countenance of Olmec art generally exhibiting the puffy, fat cheeks and jowls of a
human baby with the slanted eyes and curved mouth of a jaguar. The jaguar is one of the most potent
symbols in Mesoamerican art. Often associated with the ruling power of the king, the jaguar was the most
sacred beast in the animal pantheon. The veneration of this beast permeates the art of the Olmec. In this
case, the were-jaguar statuette probably reflects (or is connected to) the Olmec belief that, in the distant
past, a union between a woman and a jaguar had produced an earlier race of were- jaguars of which the
Olmecs believed to be the descendants.
Looking at the iconography, three possible interpretations are offered:
1. If the sculpture was displayed horizontally, on all fours, it is possible that the figure was represented as
pretending to be a jaguar;
2. If the sculpture was displayed upright, we could be looking at a stargazer: a man looking at the sky,
possibly in a ritual act of prayer;
3. We could also be looking at a shaman or priest wearing a jaguar mask as part of some specific and yet
unknown ritual.
by Olmecs. Jadeite is a rare variety of greenstone, and most probably originated from the Motagua River
valley in present-day Guatemala, the only known source of jadeite in ancient Mesoamerica. Jadeite is an
extremely dense rock with a relative hardness value equivalent to or even greater than that of steel.
Polished to a shine, this beautiful sculpture epitomizes the art of the Olmec culture. Created out of a light
green jadeite, the artistic rendering and the iconography are most interesting. The anatomy shows that the
artist had a basic understanding, yet kept the figure simple. The hands are joined under the face, yet they
contain nothing. The features on the face are carefully detailed yet the ears are gently molded onto the
face. Smooth to the touch, we realize that it still contains the beauty and elegance it carried at its first
creation.
This sculpture portrays the features commonly referred to as the “were-jaguar.” This name is used to
describe a characteristic countenance of Olmec art generally exhibiting the puffy, fat cheeks and jowls of a
human baby with the slanted eyes and curved mouth of a jaguar. The jaguar is one of the most potent
symbols in Mesoamerican art. Often associated with the ruling power of the king, the jaguar was the most
sacred beast in the animal pantheon. The veneration of this beast permeates the art of the Olmec. In this
case, the were-jaguar statuette probably reflects (or is connected to) the Olmec belief that, in the distant
past, a union between a woman and a jaguar had produced an earlier race of were- jaguars of which the
Olmecs believed to be the descendants.
Looking at the iconography, three possible interpretations are offered:
1. If the sculpture was displayed horizontally, on all fours, it is possible that the figure was represented as
pretending to be a jaguar;
2. If the sculpture was displayed upright, we could be looking at a stargazer: a man looking at the sky,
possibly in a ritual act of prayer;
3. We could also be looking at a shaman or priest wearing a jaguar mask as part of some specific and yet
unknown ritual.