The Kimbell’s newly acquired 8.5-inch one-legged statue is a big deal. Here’s why

Don’t let the missing leg or diminutive stature fool you — the Kimbell Art Museum’s acquisition of the 8.5-inch jadeite statuette is a big deal.

The piece was carved between 900-300 B.C. and is one of 11 known sculptures of a person holding a baby were-jaguar, a being that is part human and part jaguar. Of that group, this figure is the only one carved in jade and is one of three where the human stands holding the baby vertically, rather than sitting with the baby in its lap. The combination of these unique attributes is why the museum describes this acquisition as the most significant piece of ancient American art in its collection.

The statue moved into its new home Dec. 15 in the Renzo Piano Pavilion. The museum acquired it in celebration of the building’s 10th anniversary.

“The jade … all that jade is beautiful,” museum patron Bob Adams marveled as he peered into the display case. “What a wonderful deal.”

The Olmec civilization is called the “mother culture of Mesoamerica,” and deeply influenced the artwork of groups like the Maya and Aztecs. Each intricately carved detail offers clues about the Olmec people and their beliefs.

Holding a were-jaguar, which is connected to the supernatural, lends authority and bestows power onto the human ruler holding the baby.

Markings on the infant’s headband, the ornamentation on its ears and even the prominent belly button aligned at the center of both figures offer hints about what message the ruler who commissioned this piece wanted to send.

“The baby’s belly button is drilled very deep. And if you think about it, it’s actually lined up with the adult’s belly button. And so, that is also like a portal that (gives) access into the supernatural world,” said Jennifer Casler Price, senior curator of Asian, African and ancient American art at the Kimbell.

“The other thing that scholars believe activates the sculpture is the fact that the leg is ritually broken. It didn’t (just) fall on the ground and break. … It’s kind of making an offering, a ritual sacrifice to the gods to ask for rain and maize.” 

Courtesy photo

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Robert LaPrelle, Kimbell Art Museum

The details on the piece are even more impressive considering that it was carved without the use of any metal tools. Bone, obsidian or a hard shell were the most likely implements, Price said, and water and sand were likely employed to act as an abrasive.

“The Obsidian, that’s where you can get all the details of the mouth, the headdress, the indication of the fingers of the little feet, all of those finer details,” she said.

Even the areas of the statue that are shiny versus matte hint at the arduous process of carving, sanding and finishing this piece.

“It’s interesting, if you see the top of his head, it’s a little bit more matte looking than the real high sheen of his shoulders,” she said. “The back of the figure … the shoulders kind of have a sheen, but there are areas where there’s not as much polishing because, obviously, the artist is like, ‘The focus is on the front.’”

Perhaps the most striking detail, aside from the quality of the jade itself, is the left leg, or rather its absence from mid-thigh.

The clean break and the regular practice of offering carved figures and precious stones to the gods in Mesoamerican cultures make scholars confident that the break was not an accident. It’s not clear where the leg is now, but it’s interesting to ponder, Price said.

“This was a precious object that belonged to a ruler who would utilize it in some ritual,” she continued. “And then if it wasn’t buried, it would be kept as an heirloom piece and passed down.”

Multiple Olmec jades, some with glyphs indicating a new ruler, have been found at archeological sites associated with the Maya.

“Thanks to the foresight and generosity of collector Alastair Martin, this astonishingly beautiful masterpiece of Olmec jade carving has been on display for the public for more than 75 years, studied by scholars and appreciated by general museum visitors,” Eric Lee, director of the Kimbell Art Museum, said in a press release.

Previously, the piece was on a long-term loan to the Brooklyn Museum of Art and was most recently displayed at the Cleveland Museum of Art.

“I am incredibly pleased to have the opportunity to continue that tradition,” Lee said. “By acquiring one of the most important cultural touchstones of Olmec art for the Kimbell, we can assure that it will forever remain on view, available to all who want to appreciate its beauty and cultural significance.”

Marcheta Fornoff covers the arts for the Fort Worth Report. Contact her at marcheta.fornoff@fortworthreport.org or on Twitter. At the Fort Worth Report, news decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy here.

This article first appeared on Fort Worth Report and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.