An Aztec Squash Mexico, c. 900-1400 AD Carved from spotted gray hardstone with greenish mottling, the squa...

Description

An Aztec Squash
Mexico, c. 900–1400 AD

Carved from spotted gray hardstone with greenish mottling, the squash is rendered in a naturalistic, upright form, taller than wide, with fluted lobes and a thick stem. The smooth, satiny finish enhances the mottled patterning of the stone. The greenish mottling may also have added to the object's appeal, perhaps even suggesting the spotted skin of a jaguar. It was likely valued as a stone rendering of a life-giving cultivated form, tied to fertility, provisioning, and the agricultural order that sustained society. At the same time, the appeal may also have been sculptural: a squash has strong volume, fluted ribs, and a thick stem, making it an ideal natural form for a stone carver to translate into a compact, satisfying object. In hardstone, the ordinary crop is elevated into something durable, prestigious, and possibly votive. In good condition; with two shallow areas of erosion or chipping on wider sides.

Provenance:
The Vilcek Foundation

Height: 9 ½ inches

Estimate: $3,000 - $5,000.

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