Guerrero Obsidian Figure, Late Preclassic, circa 300-100 BC

A sculpture of a human figure was a rare and unusual use for the large block of obsidian from which this imposing work was carved, as such material would more often have been used for utilitarian tools or weaponry. While seemingly rudimentary, it contains important elements of the Preclassic style. The large head is carved to show the senses represented by ears, eyes and mouth. The arms are tightly bent onto the torso body in a formal posture, and the chest is rounded to show muscular contours. Short legs are gently separated by a groove, and the figure wears a knopped headdress. The reverse has been left in the natural shape of the cobble.

For other Guerrero stone figures of minimal carving, see Carlo Gay and Frances Pratt, Mezcala: Ancient Stone Sculpture from Guerrero, Mexico, Geneva, 1992, p. 215, pls. 255-262.