A dark green Serpentine stone Olmec Perforator. The heavy, flat features combined with the close-fitting helmet in this carved bust recall the colossal heads from the Gulf Coast, the region of origin of this piece. Deeply bored hole in the bottom creates a socket to which the shank of a perforator could have been inserted. A double band crosses the brow and continues down the sides of the face, perhaps the upper of part of a serpent with nostrils and eyes above. The crosshatched skin falls along the back to the waist. This Olmec perforator handle has a monumental presence despite its relatively small size. Provenance: John Stokes Jr. collection, acquired July 1959 from Kampfer Gallery. Published in “The Olmec World - Ritual and Rulership”, p. 193, #80. Measures 4.5 cm height x 2.4 cm width x 1.9 cm depth.
