GENERAL DESCRIPTION
About 900 BCE, jadeite and other greenstones became the preferred material for precious small‑scale Olmec objects of symbolic importance. These stones derive ideological value from their rarity and color, which was often associated with water and maize fertility. Discovered in the late 1940s by a farmer, this figure has an unusually complete history of previous ownership. While it was still in Mexico, the figure was drawn by the noted artist and scholar Miguel Covarrubias.
This sculpture—at once miniature and monumental—probably depicts an Olmec ruler, who was the indispensable bridge between the natural and supernatural worlds. It is not a portrait in the literal sense. Instead, it personifies the supernatural authority the ruler exercised in life and would continue to exercise after death through his role as ancestor. This authority was conveyed through metaphor. The staring eyes indicate a state of trance, the means by which the ruler accessed supernatural power. The down-turned mouth, a feline feature, suggests that the human ruler was aided by a power animal such as the jaguar, traditionally the spirit companion of shamans and kings. The figure sits with one leg upraised, the posture of a ruler seated on his throne or on his woven mat of authority. The elongated forehead is a sign of cranial deformation, in which head flattening or binding intentionally alters the shape of the skull, a form of ritual beautification common among the Olmec and other Mesoamerican peoples. The absence of costume detail emphasizes the fact that rulers of this period were highly dependent on charisma, both personal and ancestral, to support their political authority. The dark and lustrous color of the stone itself is a metaphor for the permanence of the ruler’s power over maize and other growing things. Traces of precious red cinnabar adhere to the figure. The mineral’s red color was magical and visually conveyed the life force that was thought to reside in blood.
Adapted from
- Bonnie Pitman, ed., "Seated figure with upraised knee (1983.50)," in Dallas Museum of Art: A Guide to the Collection (New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 2012), 37.
- Carol Robbins, "Seated figure with upraised knee (1983.50)," in Dallas Museum of Art: A Guide to the Collection, ed. Suzanne Kotz (Dallas, TX: Dallas Museum of Art, 1997), 183.
- Carol Robbins, Label text, A. H. Meadows Galleries, 2010.
NOTES
- Olmec, Middle Formative period, 900–500 B.C.E., updated by KJones on TMS, 10/16/13, 06/19/14, 03/14/16, and 03/21/16.
- Fun Facts Sources: "Seated figure with upraised knee (1983.50)," in Dallas Museum of Art: A Guide to the Collection, ed. Suzanne Kotz (Dallas, Texas: Dallas Museum of Art, 1997), 183; Peter David Joralemon, "Seated Figure with Upraised Knee and Incised Face," in Olmec Art of Ancient Mexico, ed. Elizabeth P. Benson and Beatriz de la Fuente (Washington, D.C.: National Gallery of Art, Harry N. Abrams, Inc., and Consejo Nacional para la Cultura y las Artes, 1996), 219-220.
Catalogue essays
Artist/designers
Cultures
Pre-Columbian (American): AAT: 300016619
Olmec: AAT: 300017051
Geography
Mexico (nation): TGN: 7005560
Puebla (state): TGN: 7005592
San Martín Texmelucan de Labastida (inhabited place): TGN: 7439725
Process/materials
serpentine: AAT: 300011627
cinnabar (mineral and pigment): AAT: 300311452
cinnabar (pigment): AAT: 300400883
carving: AAT: 300053149
polishing (finishing): AAT: 300053867
incising: AAT: 300053847
Historical periods
Middle Preclassic Period (Formative): AAT: 300016973
Formative Period (Preclassic): AAT: 300016973
Individuals
Subject terms
sculpture: AAT: 300047090
funerary objects: AAT: 300234126
grave goods: AAT: 300180706
supernatural (concepts): AAT: 300055947
green (color): AAT: 300128438
figures: AAT: 300189808
shiny: AAT: 300065244
portrait: AAT: 300015637
rulers (people): AAT: 300025475
king: AAT: 300025481
sitting (seated): AAT: 300263970
headdress: AAT: 300046023
diadems (headbands): AAT: 300046021
loincloths (main garments): AAT: 300209923
beautification: AAT: 300111985
body modification: AAT: 300262468
deformation: AAT: 300072976
head: AAT: 300262520
cleft head (motif): DMA
RELATED OBJECTS
PROVENANCE
From at least 1953: acquired by F. Haswald in Puebla, Mexico [1], [2]
n.d.: Wolfgang Paalen, Vienna, Austria [1], [2]
n.d.: Everett Rassiga, Inc., New York [1], [2]
From at least 1963: Jay Leff [1], [2]
n.d: Judith Small Nash, Wayne Heathcott, and James Economos [1], [2]
Until 1983: Peter G. Wray, Phoenix, AZ [1], [2]
From 1983: Dallas Museum of Fine Arts, gift of Mrs. Eugene McDermott, The Roberta Coke Camp Fund, and The Art Museum League Fund, purchased from the above [1], [2], [3]
[1] The main source for this provenance is a letter from Peter David (P.D.) Joralemon to John Lunsford (dated January 29, 1985, copy in Dallas Museum of Art Collections Records Object File, Confidential). Exceptions and other supporting documents are noted.
[2] The main source for this provenance is a letter from Carolyn Tate (dated August 11, 1988, copy in Dallas Museum of Art Collections Records Object File, Confidential). Exceptions and other supporting documents are noted.
[3] The name of the Dallas Museum of Fine Arts, founded in 1933, was changed to the Dallas Museum of Art in 1983.
AUDIO ASSETS
13308967: UMO. Poem created and read by Cristina Henriquez for Olmec Seated ruler in ritual pose, 1983.50, DMA Collection; Created for C3 Materials and Meanings exhibition.
VIDEO ASSETS
IMAGE ASSETS
WEB RESOURCES
ARCHIVAL RESOURCES
FUN FACTS
- The face bears a double-scroll motif, distinctive iconography that may be a symbol associated with a specific person or a ruler, perhaps the "Lord of the Double Scroll." Olmec scholar Peter David (P.D.) Joralemon has identified this design on a group of jade and serpentine carvings with similar features. Although it is possible the features represent a popular style, it is more likely that the double scroll is an iconographic symbol for a specific individual.
TEACHING IDEAS
RULES
Apply to objects where number equals 1983.50
Category
rules_operator
AND
General Description
About 900 BCE, jadeite and other greenstones became the preferred material for precious small‑scale Olmec objects of symbolic importance. These stones derive ideological value from their rarity and color, which was often associated with water and maize fertility. Discovered in the late 1940s by a farmer, this figure has an unusually complete history of previous ownership. While it was still in Mexico, the figure was drawn by the noted artist and scholar Miguel Covarrubias.
This sculpture—at once miniature and monumental—probably depicts an Olmec ruler, who was the indispensable bridge between the natural and supernatural worlds. It is not a portrait in the literal sense. Instead, it personifies the supernatural authority the ruler exercised in life and would continue to exercise after death through his role as ancestor. This authority was conveyed through metaphor. The staring eyes indicate a state of trance, the means by which the ruler accessed supernatural power. The down-turned mouth, a feline feature, suggests that the human ruler was aided by a power animal such as the jaguar, traditionally the spirit companion of shamans and kings. The figure sits with one leg upraised, the posture of a ruler seated on his throne or on his woven mat of authority. The elongated forehead is a sign of cranial deformation, in which head flattening or binding intentionally alters the shape of the skull, a form of ritual beautification common among the Olmec and other Mesoamerican peoples. The absence of costume detail emphasizes the fact that rulers of this period were highly dependent on charisma, both personal and ancestral, to support their political authority. The dark and lustrous color of the stone itself is a metaphor for the permanence of the ruler’s power over maize and other growing things. Traces of precious red cinnabar adhere to the figure. The mineral’s red color was magical and visually conveyed the life force that was thought to reside in blood.
Adapted from
- Bonnie Pitman, ed., "Seated figure with upraised knee (1983.50)," in Dallas Museum of Art: A Guide to the Collection (New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 2012), 37.
- Carol Robbins, "Seated figure with upraised knee (1983.50)," in Dallas Museum of Art: A Guide to the Collection, ed. Suzanne Kotz (Dallas, TX: Dallas Museum of Art, 1997), 183.
- Carol Robbins, Label text, A. H. Meadows Galleries, 2010.
Fun Facts
- The face bears a double-scroll motif, distinctive iconography that may be a symbol associated with a specific person or a ruler, perhaps the "Lord of the Double Scroll." Olmec scholar Peter David (P.D.) Joralemon has identified this design on a group of jade and serpentine carvings with similar features. Although it is possible the features represent a popular style, it is more likely that the double scroll is an iconographic symbol for a specific individual.
Archival Resources
Web Resources
Notes
- Olmec, Middle Formative period, 900–500 B.C.E., updated by KJones on TMS, 10/16/13, 06/19/14, 03/14/16, and 03/21/16.
- Fun Facts Sources: "Seated figure with upraised knee (1983.50)," in Dallas Museum of Art: A Guide to the Collection, ed. Suzanne Kotz (Dallas, Texas: Dallas Museum of Art, 1997), 183; Peter David Joralemon, "Seated Figure with Upraised Knee and Incised Face," in Olmec Art of Ancient Mexico, ed. Elizabeth P. Benson and Beatriz de la Fuente (Washington, D.C.: National Gallery of Art, Harry N. Abrams, Inc., and Consejo Nacional para la Cultura y las Artes, 1996), 219-220.
Catalogue essays
Artist/designers
Cultures
Pre-Columbian (American): AAT: 300016619
Olmec: AAT: 300017051
Geography
Mexico (nation): TGN: 7005560
Puebla (state): TGN: 7005592
San Martín Texmelucan de Labastida (inhabited place): TGN: 7439725
Process/materials
serpentine: AAT: 300011627
cinnabar (mineral and pigment): AAT: 300311452
cinnabar (pigment): AAT: 300400883
carving: AAT: 300053149
polishing (finishing): AAT: 300053867
incising: AAT: 300053847
Historical periods
Middle Preclassic Period (Formative): AAT: 300016973
Formative Period (Preclassic): AAT: 300016973
Individuals
Subject terms
sculpture: AAT: 300047090
funerary objects: AAT: 300234126
grave goods: AAT: 300180706
supernatural (concepts): AAT: 300055947
green (color): AAT: 300128438
figures: AAT: 300189808
shiny: AAT: 300065244
portrait: AAT: 300015637
rulers (people): AAT: 300025475
king: AAT: 300025481
sitting (seated): AAT: 300263970
headdress: AAT: 300046023
diadems (headbands): AAT: 300046021
loincloths (main garments): AAT: 300209923
beautification: AAT: 300111985
body modification: AAT: 300262468
deformation: AAT: 300072976
head: AAT: 300262520
cleft head (motif): DMA
RELATED OBJECTS
PROVENANCE
From at least 1953: acquired by F. Haswald in Puebla, Mexico [1], [2]
n.d.: Wolfgang Paalen, Vienna, Austria [1], [2]
n.d.: Everett Rassiga, Inc., New York [1], [2]
From at least 1963: Jay Leff [1], [2]
n.d: Judith Small Nash, Wayne Heathcott, and James Economos [1], [2]
Until 1983: Peter G. Wray, Phoenix, AZ [1], [2]
From 1983: Dallas Museum of Fine Arts, gift of Mrs. Eugene McDermott, The Roberta Coke Camp Fund, and The Art Museum League Fund, purchased from the above [1], [2], [3]
[1] The main source for this provenance is a letter from Peter David (P.D.) Joralemon to John Lunsford (dated January 29, 1985, copy in Dallas Museum of Art Collections Records Object File, Confidential). Exceptions and other supporting documents are noted.
[2] The main source for this provenance is a letter from Carolyn Tate (dated August 11, 1988, copy in Dallas Museum of Art Collections Records Object File, Confidential). Exceptions and other supporting documents are noted.
[3] The name of the Dallas Museum of Fine Arts, founded in 1933, was changed to the Dallas Museum of Art in 1983.
AUDIO ASSETS
13308967: UMO. Poem created and read by Cristina Henriquez for Olmec Seated ruler in ritual pose, 1983.50, DMA Collection; Created for C3 Materials and Meanings exhibition.
VIDEO ASSETS
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