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The Olmecs are generally
considered to be the ultimate
ancestor of all subsequent
Mesoamerican civilisations.
Thriving between about 1200 and
400 BC, their base was the tropical
lowlands of south central Mexico,
an area characterized by swamps
punctuated by low hill ridges and
volcanoes. Here the Olmecs
practiced advanced farming
techniques and constructed many
permanent settlements. Their
influence, both cultural and
political, extended far beyond their
boundaries; the exotic nature of
Olmec designs became
synonymous with elite status in
other (predominantly highland)
groups, with evidence for
exchange of artefacts in both
directions. Other than their art
(see below), they are credited with
the foundations of writing systems
(the loosely defined Epi-Olmec
period, c. 500 BC), the first use of
the zero – so instrumental in the
Maya long count vigesimal
calendrical system – and they also
appear to have been the
originators of the famous
Mesoamerican ballgame so
prevalent among later cultures in
the region.
The art form for which the Olmecs
are best known, the monumental
stone heads weighing up to forty
tons, are generally believed to
depict kingly leaders or possibly
ancestors. Other symbols abound
in their stylistic repertoire,
including several presumably
religious symbols such as the
feathered serpent and the rain
spirit, which persisted in
subsequent and related cultures
until the middle ages.
Comparatively little is known of
their magico-religious world,
although the clues that we have
are tantalising. Technically, these
include all non- secular items, of
which there is a fascinating array.
The best- known forms are jade
and ceramic figures and celts that
depict men, animals and
fantastical beasts with both
anthropomorphic and zoomorphic
characteristics. Their size and
general appearance suggests that
they were domestically- or
institutionally-based totems or
divinities. The quality of production
is astonishing, particularly if one
considers the technology available,
the early date of the pieces, and
the dearth of earlier works upon
which the Olmec sculptors could
draw. Some pieces are highly
stylised, while others demonstrate
striking naturalism with deliberate
expressionist interpretation of
some facial features (notably up-
turned mouths and slit eyes) that
can be clearly seen in the current
figure.
In the Olmec culture the mask
was considered an icon of
transformation. It makes visible
the charismatic and shamanic
power of the wearer; who was
either a ruler or shaman. Often
the mask has an expression of an
otherworldly nature, as if
submerged in an ecstatic trance. A
mask will never change, it is
unaffected by emotion or time,
and will forever express the virtues
the sculptor endowed upon it. This
quality of the eternal appealed to
Olmec rulers. The sheer power of
this stone mask is monumental in
scope. There is a sense it is a
product of nature, elemental and
beyond comprehension. Yet, a very
skilled sculptor was needed to
carve the intricate designs. This is
not difficult to imagine given its
almost primordial character, which
seems to come from another
dimension. In many respects the
Olmec themselves seem not to
have been of this world; and
objects such as this extraordinary
mask appear as living proof. Today,
masks are worn mostly for the fun
of Halloween parties or the profit of
robbing banks. In either case their
purpose is simply to conceal the
identity of the wearer. The peoples
of ancient cultures, however,
believed that masks were magical
and that by donning one the
wearer actually became the god,
demon or animal it represented
and was, therefore, endowed with
all its powers of good or evil. Masks
of every conceivable non-
perishable material and varying
sizes have been found all over
Mexico. The earliest we know of
were made of clay but it is
probable that others made of
gourds or even paper have not
survived. Jade, as the symbol of
life and the most precious
substance known, was often used
for the most prestigious kings and
powerful gods. Masks were
frequently laid over the faces or on
the chests of the dead. Though
their actual purpose is obscure, at
least one, that found in the tomb
of a Pakal, ruler of Palenque,
seems to have been a true portrait
of the deceased.
- (CK.0759)
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