This magnificent Olmec stone head possesses monumental and majestic essence, manifesting a fascinating Olmec legend. The stone head has large expressive eyes, a nose, and a mouth. Although its features...
This magnificent Olmec stone head possesses monumental and majestic essence, manifesting a fascinating Olmec legend. The stone head has large expressive eyes, a nose, and a mouth. Although its features are highly stylized, the look of the large eyes that almost seem Asianic pierces through anything that stands in front of the stone head. The symbolism of the circular disk on the forehead is obscure to us today but it perhaps symbolized status and power of this stone head. The sculpture features large, fleshy lips of which the upper part is curled upward. This unusual facial feature is a sign of an olmec legend about the jaguar baby. Babies born with this feline, jaguar, feature were considered as possessing powers of god and, thus, were treated in special ways. It is no surprise that people of Olmec culture carved this magnificent sculpture of a man's head with attributes of special jaguar baby. Such fascinating tale and the strong artistic qualities of the stone sculpture seem to grab and demand our attention even today.