Large teotihuacan/Toltec Stone head of the aged Fire God, possibly Puebla/Oaxaca region Late Classic, ca. A.D. 550-950

the massive, imposing head from an over life size figure of the deity  Huehueteotl, the Old Fire God, carved in the round with unusual bean-shaped recessed eyes and oval toothless mouth, the deep lines forming distinct bands overlapping at right angles, adorned with large tubular ear ornaments through the lobes, and fillet headband with central beaded medallion; covered extensively with deep red pigment covered by encrustations and white pigment.

Julius Carlebach, New York

Jay C. Leff Collection (Sotheby's, New York, May 12, 1983, lot 96, and November 25, 1996, lot 150)

Brooklyn, Elizabeth Kennedy Easby, ed. Ancient Art of Latin America, from the  Collection of Jay C. Leff, Brooklyn Museum, November 22, 1966- March 5, 1967, no. 190, illus.

Huntington, Katheryn M  Linduff,  Ancient Art of Middle America, Selections from the Jay C. Leff Collection, The Huntington Galleries, West Virginia, 1974, no. 127 , illus.

Overall very good , has lots of white and red pigment in layers on the face as shown. Does have some repairs and loss: PR ear, some fill on missing portion of ear between earplug and top of ear, ; missing rear right section on the back of fillet headband, approx. 9 in ; crack which is stabile but visible around the bottom of the face, curves from PR side at back of cheek, under chin towards the left side under the chin.
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The Old Fire God is one of the earliest deities who remains omnipotent from the Formative era till the early Postclassic. Huehueteotl is 'branded' during the Classic period at Teotihuacan as a hunched figural brazier, with the flattened head supporting a large incensario bowl. This head has a flatter face with bands of wrinkles at right angles that are similar to wrapping. The extensive red pigment is a trait of Teotihuacan art as seen in the vibrant red used in murals. The head has been attributed to a regional style called Nunine, in the Puebla/Oaxaca border, dating to pre-Mixtec and post -Classic Teotihuacan. There are large stone heads from this region in the Museo Nacional de Antropolgia collections (Paddock 1966: 181).