This stone sculpture belongs to a tradition called "crossed arms complex". This phenomenon was first named by the archaeologist Carlos Navarrete. As its name implies, these are representations of anthropomorphic figures with arms crossed over the chest. The materials and techniques are very varied, and their distribution, both temporal (from the Classic to the Post-Classic) as well as spatial, is very widespread throughout Mesoamerica. In a broad sense, the sculptures in the Mezcala of Guerrero style and the Mixtec penates are part of this tradition.
It is made of a compact and very heavy white stone. It has schematic and stylized facial and body features formed only by the combination of straight lines made by the technique of making linear cuts by grinding. In this technique, they make cuts with a long instrument, making back and forth movements, along with wet abrasives. It is standing with arms crossed in front of its chest (right over left) and hands resting on the shoulders. The same resource is used to incise the eyes and mouth; it has the nose in the form of an isosceles triangle and rectangular ears. A horizontal line is carved in the lower part of the legs, simulating the feet. There is a shallow perforation on the top of the head made using a drill.
By its posture, perhaps it represents the dead or the mortuary bundles used in certain burial rituals.
This stone sculpture belongs to a tradition called "crossed arms complex". This phenomenon was first named by the archaeologist Carlos Navarrete. As its name implies, these are representations of anthropomorphic figures with arms crossed over the chest. The materials and techniques are very varied, and their distribution, both temporal (from the Classic to the Post-Classic) as well as spatial, is very widespread throughout Mesoamerica. In a broad sense, the sculptures in the Mezcala of Guerrero style and the Mixtec penates are part of this tradition.
