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Olmec Seated Figure With Distended Jowls - PF.0223, Origin: Xochipala, Mexico, Circa: 1200 BC to 900 BC, Dimensions: 7.125" (18.1cm) high, Catalogue: V2, Collection: Pre-Columbian, Style: Olmec, Medium: Terracotta. Part baby, part monster, this grotesque bullfrog- like little creature probably served as an incense burner. It is possible that his sagging jowls and belly are the result of a medical condition, like those depicted in satirical English prints of the 18th Century. However, creatures like this were an integral part of Olmec art and religion, remnants of a mythological age when humans and animals mated. This fellow seems to come from an even earlier time, as if he were formed from the primeval ooze.
Antiquities
Ancient Unknown
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