Architectural Model
Unknown Artist
1st–8th century
Medium
Stone
Dimensions
Height 5 in.
Classification
Stone-Sculpture
Culture
Mezcala
Department
Arts of Africa, Oceania, and the Americas
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Bequest of Arthur M. Bullowa, 1993
Accession Number
1994.35.656
Tags
About this artwork
This stone architectural model represents the sophisticated sculptural traditions of the Mezcala culture, which flourished in western Mexico during the first eight centuries CE. Carved from solid stone and standing approximately 5 inches tall, this miniature temple form demonstrates the geometric abstraction characteristic of Mezcala sculpture. The Mezcala culture, centered in the modern state of Guerrero, produced distinctive stone sculptures and architectural models highly prized in ancient Me...