Polished green stone, Olmec Man, L 003

This sculpture of a male figure in green serpentine or jade comes from the Olmec civilisation of Mesoamerica and is distinguishable in the mutilation of the arms and head. The practice of deliberate destruction of larger stone sculptures in the Olmec culture is associated with the abandonment of sites.
Distinctive features of Olmec carvings include a downturned mouth, prominent thick, flared uppe…