Figure, 900-300 BCE, 4 1/2 x 2 1/4 x 3/4 in. ( x x cm), Jade, Mexico, 9th-3rd century BCE, Each jade object made by the artists of the Olmec culture is a masterpiece of craftsmanship. Jade was hard to find, even harder to carve, and it was valued above all other materials by this ancient Mexican civilization. This figure depicts a were-jaguar, a supernatural being with both human and jaguar aspects. The were-jaguar was a powerful spirit who controlled rain and storms, as well as the growth of maize, the staple crop of the Olmec. This sculpture, used for ritual purposes

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Size: 3730px × 4140px
Location:
Photo credit: © Penta Springs / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

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