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Olmec

Standing Figurine

800–400 BCE
Green hornfels and cinnabar

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In the collection of Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago · as of July 2026

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FROM THE ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO’S CATALOG

In the Gulf Coast lowlands of Veracruz and Tabasco between 900 and 400 B.C., Olmec rulers built cities with ceremonial earthen pyramids, platforms, and plazas. Monumental sculptures depict rulers and mythological themes, while small-scale figurines and related works commemorate important events. This figurine was found near the Coatzacoalcos River during the 1960s. It is carved in the style of figurines from a ritual offering at the major capital La Venta.

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