Olmec Stone Crouching Transformation Figure, Middle Preclassic, circa 900-600 BC

Miguel Covarrubias (1904-1957), Mexico City
George Pepper (1913-1969), Mexico City, acquired from the above
American Private Collection, acquired from the above in July 1967

Michael D. Coe, ed. The Olmec World: Ritual and Rulership, Princeton, 1995, p. 173, cat. no. 45

The readied crouching position of the figure is a seamless combination of the human and animal traits in a transformation posture. The sloping back with narrowed waist, strong sculpted shoulders, and bent legs forward and back appear to be a human form, yet the thick feline tail extends over to the left thigh. The head has been minimally carved as if unfinished, with softly raised feline ears and a narrow mouth. The slight indentation at the back of the head implies the presence of a helmet as seen distinctly in other crouching transformation figures (see Michael D. Coe, ed. The Olmec World: Ritual and Rulership, Princeton, 1995, p. 170, fig. 1, and p. 172, cat. no. 44).