The period from about 150 to 900 A.D. was the
most remarkable in the entire development of
Meso-America. This era of fluorescence, known
as the classic period, saw the emergence of great
Meso-American civilizations, ones that could
easily compare with those of other parts of the
globe. It was truly the golden age of Mexico,
when the arts reached their highest refinement,
when the seeds that were planted earlier reached
their fruition. The greatest city of all was ancient
Teotihuacan, the most important site in the
whole of Mexico. A place of legend and mystery,
Teotihuacan is literally translated to "where
people become gods." It was here, where the
ancient gods met, and it was here that creative
masterpieces, such as this green stone idol were
skillfully rendered. We see in this striking image
the characteristic Teotihuacan art style, elegant
and refined, stylized and ordered, resulting in an
ancient work of art that also appears strikingly
modern. The Teotihuacan artist has skillfully
reduced the forms of a figiure to a few lines and
curves, in the mode of early 20th century
abstract art, all of which serve to heighten and
intensify the spirited essence of this powerful
piece. The standing figure may be a god himself.
In state of meditation, it appears as though he is
chanting a prayer. The concentric rings that
radiate from the center of his crown may be a
visual symbol of his hypnotic state. This figure's
smooth surface bears the ages of time and years
of rubbing. The color green, bearing the breath
of life, may have been carved specifically to
represent good fortune and protection. Perhaps
the owner of this precious relic used it as a good
luck charm and looked up to it as an object of
great reverence. Although the great civilization
of Teotihuacan met its untimely end around 700
A.D., by the hand of invaders, the creative spirit
of the people lives on in this bold stone mask, its
dynamic energy transcending the boundaries
time and space.
- (PF.6231a)
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