- 121
Maya Stone Figure, Pacific Slope region Late Preclassic/Protoclassic, ca. 300 B.C-AD. 300
Estimate
30,000 - 50,000 USD
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Description
- Stone
- Height: 14 1/2 in (36.8 cm)
the ''mushroom' stone in the form of the acrobat figure, with legs sharply thrown up and supporting the domed cap on both feet, with squared torso and arms, large squared eyes and wearing a turban knotted on the forehead; in gray-tan basalt.
Provenance
Edward Merrin
Andre Emmerich, Inc., acquired from the above in 1967
Mr. William Marinovich, acquired from the above in 1967
Andre Emmerich, Inc., acquired from the above in 1967
Mr. William Marinovich, acquired from the above in 1967
Exhibited
New York, Edward Merrin Gallery, 1968, Fig. 4, illus.
Literature
Karl Herbert Mayer, The Mushroom Stones of Mesoamerica, 1977, Plate 14, and pg. 38
Gérald Berjonneau, Emile Deletaille, Jean-Louis Sonnery, Rediscovered Masterpieces of Mesoamerica, Boulogne, 1985, no. 313
Joseph Gardner, ed. Mysteries of the Ancient Americas, 1986, pg. 212
Gérald Berjonneau, Emile Deletaille, Jean-Louis Sonnery, Rediscovered Masterpieces of Mesoamerica, Boulogne, 1985, no. 313
Joseph Gardner, ed. Mysteries of the Ancient Americas, 1986, pg. 212
Condition
Overall v. good, has old clean break and repair just below the knees, very smoothed on the dome from wear and use,
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.
Catalogue Note
The 'mushroom' stone type appears in European museums in the late 19th c. including one at the British Museum accessioned in 1869. These enigmatic figures date from the Preclassic into the Classic era. They are found primarily in the Guatemalan highlands and also in parts of Oaxaca and Chiapas, with a large group studied in the 1950's by Kidder and Shook in the excavations in Kaminaljuyu. Most examples are squatting figures with the dome projecting from the head. Believed to represent a 'mushroom' cult of the hallucinogenic species Amanita muscaria and Psilocybin mushrooms, some mushroom stones were found in association with metates and manos used for the ritual preparations. The acrobat stance on this figure is rare within the corpus, however the posture is well represented in numerous Pre-Columbian cultures as part of the shaman's contortions in trance ceremonies. For an acrobat mushroom stone in the Nottebohm Collection, see Mayer (1977:37, and Plate 13, bottom right).