Winged Plaque

Although of dark green quartzite, this plaque should probably be regarded as “cultural jade”—that is, a hard greenstone regarded as precious jadeite by the ancient Olmec. In a detailed discussion of the plaque, Michael D. Coe notes that it was obtained from a missionary residing in Mérida, Yucatan, who said it came from a village in Yucatan “about two days’ journey” from Mérida at the time (Coe 1966:6). It was certainly in the Maya region at one point in its history, as the flat reverse side bears a complex Protoclassic Maya inscription.

The Olmec carving on the obverse side portrays a central face flanked by a large pair of crossed bands. The incisions delineating the large crossed bands and details of the face are unusually deep and assured, quite unlike the rather sketchy and tentative incision commonly found on Olmec jades (see PC.B.024 and PC.B.592). In this regard, the incision is quite like that on PC.B.023. Similar incisions also appear on the avian jaguar maskette (PC.B.004) and the early stone mask of Cocijo, both probably carved in Oaxaca. Although finely carved, all four of these examples are made not of the highly treasured translucent blue-green jade but of dark, opaque stones such as quartzite, diopside jadeite, and porphyry. It is possible that rather than being carved in the Olmec heartland, these objects derive from one or more regional workshops in Oaxaca or perhaps Guerrero.

The large crossed bands on this plaque may seem like relatively simple devices, but they actually display a complex symmetry. Both the central axis and two interior ends of each set of crossed bands are marked by circles, but there are no circles on the exterior ends. On both sides, the lower exterior ends curve slightly upward and terminate against the incised lines that border the lower perimeters of the crossed bands. In contrast, the upper exterior ends of the crossed bands are open, with the bordering incision stopping at the sides. Although the carving of the crossed bands is careful and deliberate, it remains unknown whether the complex symmetry is simply stylistic convention or bears symbolic significance.

Two large drilled holes partly obliterate the central portions of the crossed bands; these holes begin as broad conical depressions and narrow into straight-sided bores. Coe (1966:6) suggests that these funnel-shaped holes represent jade earspools. In fact, a very similar pair of funnel-shaped holes is found on the earlobes of an Olmec-style stone yuguito. For both this yuguito and PC.B.538, the holes closely correspond to the exterior form of earspools, which are typically flared at the ends, with narrower straight-sided necks. The holes of the stone yuguito and PC.B.538 were probably to receive separately carved earspools of jade or other materials. Fitting earspools in fine stone sculptures is not limited to the Olmec: an Early Classic jade skull excavated at Nebaj, Guatemala, contains a pair of beautifully fitted earspools of the same material (Smith and Kidder 1951:fig. 56).

The central face of PC.B.538 projects beyond the plane of the crossed bands, and its upper and lower edges extend beyond the perimeter of the crossed bands. The entire appearance suggests a mask on a crossed-band panel. The two holes for suspending the plaque flank the upper sides of the face. When secured for suspension, the knots of the supporting cord would look like they were holding a central mask. When inserted into the crossed-band areas, the suggested earspools would reinforce the appearance of stone items placed on top of a planar surface.

Although the central face is fairly flat, it is also broadly and deeply carved in the eyes, nose, and mouth. The carving is especially deep in the interiors of the eyes and mouth, which were partly carved with hollow-core drills (Coe 1966:7); remnants of this drilling are particularly evident in the right corner and central region of the mouth. Given the probable insertion of earspools on the crossed-band panel, it is quite possible the deeply carved areas also held inlays. In fact, Coe notes the presence of dark staining in the eyes and left corner of the mouth, and suggests that these areas originally contained inlays of iron pyrite. Such pyrite inlays were part of a number of Olmec pieces in the Dumbarton Oaks Collection (see PC.B.004, PC.B.008, and PC.B.009). Deep incised lines delineate both the perimeter and some interior regions of PC.B.538’s mouth. In some areas, one side of the incision was partly removed, creating a slightly lower surface; for example, in the curving line separating the upper lip and teeth, the upper border of the teeth is on a lower plane than the lip. Although only the long canines are plainly indicated as teeth, both the central T-shaped element and the horizontal elements at the upper corners of the mouth all represent the upper teeth. Aside from the long canines, the dentition is quite similar to that of the large jadeite mask of the Olmec maize god (PC.B.020).

Flanking vertical lines and a V-shaped form surrounding a central cleft are incised on the upper brow. The deep medial cleft extends atop the flat uppermost surface of the head, where a deep incised line borders the sides and front of the head. This line runs around, rather than across, the brow cleft, creating a form resembling the letter M. Coe (1966:8) interprets the central brow cleft as a sign of fertility, and notes that maize frequently emerges from this Olmec motif. In fact, although lacking a central projecting cob, the cleft indicates that this being is probably the Olmec maize god in his aspect as young growing corn. In this form, he typically appears with cleft foliation without a mature maize ear (see PC.B.585). The short vertical lines at the sides of the brow recall the pair of vertical lines frequently appearing with the foliated aspect of the corn god (see Figures 15.2, 15.3, and 15.4). Although the central face can be identified as the Olmec maize god, the fangs are somewhat unusual. Such prominent canines are more typical of the strongly feline Olmec rain god. Nonetheless, some Olmec maize gods from Oaxaca do possess long canines (Benson and Fuente 1996:no. 96; Caso and Bernal 1952:figs. 481, 483a, 485, 487, 488, 494).

An Early Formative bottle from Las Bocas, Puebla, contains an especially early version of the plaque motif, a cleft maize sign flanked by a pair of crossed bands. As on PC.B.538, the maize sign appears to lie atop a crossed-band form. The central rectangle marked by diagonal hachure is probably a stylized mouth of the Olmec maize god, with the three surrounding elements being the mouth brackets often found among images of the corn deity (see Figures 15.2f, 18.1, and 18.10).

The form of PC.B.538—a central face with narrower lateral extensions—occurs on other Middle Formative Olmec jewelry. Although of smaller scale, these pieces portray masklike faces flanked by narrower slablike extensions. As on PC.B.538, the central heads have cleft brows. With its deeply furrowed cleft brow and flame eyebrows, one of these examples is notably like the entity on a massive anthropomorphic axe in the British Museum (see Bernal 1969b:pl. 49a). Although the example may also represent the same being, the cleft-headed face is very much like PC.B.538, and probably represents the same aspect of the Olmec maize god.

PC.B.538 and the other three cited examples have been identified as pectorals (Coe 1966; Joralemon 1971:fig. 230; Princeton University Art Museum 1995:no. 231a–b; Saville 1929:fig. 93). Although a reasonable interpretation, miniature masks rarely appear as breast ornaments in Olmec art; they are more commonly worn in the center of the brow as part of a headband or headdress. The pair of large crossed bands on PC.B.538 commonly appears on the headbands of Middle Formative headdresses. The emerging figure from La Venta Altar 5 wears a similar headband, with a central mask flanked by smaller crossed bands. As items worn at the top of the body, Olmec headbands and headdresses frequently contain celestial imagery such as inverted U-shaped sky signs and related forms (see Figure 15.2d). David C. Grove (1989a:134) notes that the triple drops above the central mask of the Altar 5 headband denote rain. The crossed bands on Olmec headdresses are probably also celestial signs. In Olmec scenes, crossed-band motifs commonly appear in the uppermost region, probably to denote the sky. In many cases, these celestial motifs appear as bound bundles, with the crossed bands denoting lashing (Taube 1995:88). This is true for the Olmec headbands under discussion: the crossed bands extend to the upper and lower edges of the headbands, as if binding them together. In other words, these headbands are essentially the bound celestial band wrapped around the head.

With its central mask and flanking crossed bands, PC.B.538 corresponds closely to the celestial iconography of Olmec headbands. Rather than pectorals, these Olmec flanged pieces could have served as head ornaments. The three examples fashioned from jadeite and serpentine could have been worn as headdress elements, quite possibly in the center of the brow. PC.B.538, however, is decidedly larger, more than twice the width of the largest of the other greenstone plaques. Although the Olmec could conceivably have worn PC.B.538 as a headdress, it could also have been fashioned for a deity image of stone or wood. Examples of oversize jewelry are not unknown for the Olmec; a Middle Formative cache from San Isidro, Chiapas, contained a pair of jade earspools more than 10 cm in width (Lowe 1981:243, 245).

The back side of PC.B.538 features a finely incised text clearly pertaining to the Late Preclassic Maya and dating roughly to the first century BCE. In his original publication of this object, Coe noted the extreme importance of this early lengthy text, which still constitutes the largest well-preserved example of Maya writing dating to this early period (Coe 1966). In their groundbreaking exhibition and catalogue, The Blood of Kings, Linda Schele and Mary Ellen Miller (1986:119–120, pl. 32) also discuss the pivotal importance of the scene and text in terms of the origins of Maya civilization. But it was the excavation of the West Wall mural at San Bartolo in 2005 that fully brought this image to light in the context of early Maya kingship. The mural features two scenes of accession of the maize god atop scaffolds, and the articles he receives are headdress ornaments, in one case the foliated jester god and in the other the trilobate brow ornament referring to maize (Taube et al. 2010:66–70). On PC.B.538, the Maya ruler wears both. Because of these extremely specific headdress elements, as well as the overall style of the incision, it is more than likely this incised side of the Olmec plaque was carved in the northern Peten if not actually at San Bartolo, which was a major site during the Late Preclassic period, on at least equal terms with Tikal at that time.

The Blood of Kings: Dynasty and Ritual in Maya Art, Kimbell Art Museum, Fort Worth, Texas, May–August 1986, Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, Ohio, October–December 1986

Olmec Art of Ancient Mexico, National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., June–December 1996

Lords of Creation: The Origins of Sacred Maya Kingship, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Los Angeles, California, September 2005–January 2006, Dallas Museum of Art, Dallas, Texas, February–May 2006, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, New York, June–September 2006

Olmec: Colossal Masterworks of Ancient Mexico, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Los Angeles, California, October 2010–January 2011, M. H. De Young Memorial Museum, San Francisco, California, February–May 2011

All Sides Considered: New Research on the Maya Collection, Dumbarton Oaks, Washington, D.C., September 2012–June 2013

Golden Kingdoms: Luxury and Legacy in the Ancient Americas, J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles, California, September 2017–January 2018, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, New York, February–May 2018