Mezcala Stone Standing Figure, Based

Barely a figure at all, and somehow entirely a person.

This standing figure, based, is Mezcala, from the Balsas River, Guerrero, Mexico, and dates to 300 – 100 BCE. It is carved stone. Mezcala sculptors are generally known for reducing the human body to a few planes and grooves, a style often attributed to working hard stone with abrasives rather than chisels. The figure is a compact, rounded block of mottled green-gray stone, with a shallow brow, a hint of a nose and arms suggested by soft recesses along the sides. A notch between the legs separates the lower body. It is 5.5 inches high and 2 wide.

Proof that a few cuts can say plenty.