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The Olmec were remarkable lapidaries, and this is a good example of their fine workmanship. An extremely thin jadeite piece in the shape of an axe blade has been turned into the representation of a supernatural scholars know as a were-jaguar. The conventionalized snarling mouth and "flame" eyebrows have been carved in extremely low relief and filled in with bright red cinnabar.
Anthropomorphic celt Olmec Pre-Classic (1800 B.C. - 150 A.D.) Unknown Light green jadeite and cinnabar N/A National Museum of Anthropology, Mexico. Photo © Jorge Pérez de Lara |
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