Architectural Model

100 BC - 300

Architectural Model, 100 BC - 300. Mexico, Guerrero, Mezcala. Serpentine; overall: 4.9 x 3.2 x 1.1 cm (1 15/16 x 1 1/4 x 7/16 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. James C. Gruener 1990.188 The Mezcala style takes its name from a river in its homeland, the Guerrero region of western Mexico. The style is known for small-scale stone sculptures including architectural “models” characterized by sleek abstraction. Because comparisons to actual architecture in the Mezcala region are scarce, it is not known whether the models refer to temples, houses, or underground funerary structures. Estimated dates for Mezcala sculpture have ranged from 2000 BC to as late as 1454–1521.