Cup with Profile Head of the Maize God c. 800

This delicately carved cup, an Olmec artwork of unknown date, presents a profile head of the Maize God. Its cylindrical form, roughly square at the top, displays an array of geometric patterns and stylized motifs incised into its surface. The texture of the cup's surface, appearing smooth yet earthy, invites a tactile imagination, evoking a sense of ancient ritual and reverence. The composition is structured around the iconic representation of the Maize God. The incised lines and cross-hatching not only define the deity's features, such as the eye and elaborate headdress, but also create a play of light and shadow that animates the figure. The use of geometric forms, like the repetitive diamond pattern, hints at a symbolic language deeply embedded in Olmec culture, where such patterns may have conveyed complex cosmological beliefs. The cup destabilizes the boundary between the sacred and the everyday, suggesting that even mundane objects could be imbued with spiritual significance. The formal qualities of this Olmec cup, therefore, serve as a powerful conduit for understanding the cultural and philosophical underpinnings of this ancient civilization.