Replica of colossal Olmec Head 8


Replica of colossal Olmec Head 8, 2000
Ignacio Perez Solano
Museum Campus
East side of Field Museum of Natural History
1400 South Lake Shore Drive

This reproduction of a 3,000-year old sculpture was a gift to the city from the government of Veracruz, a state in southeastern Mexico. Archeologists have found 17 large heads believed to come from the Olmec people, the first major civilization in Mexico, who existed from 1200 to 800 BCE. Artist Solano carved this seven-foot, seven-ton stone piece to replicate the eighth stone head that was found; each of the 17 has distinctive features and is believed to embody the likeness of an individual leader. Typically carved in a stylized manner, Olmec Head 8 is considered the most naturalistic of the group.

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