In the part of the Ensanche de Vallecas is the Olmec head of Madrid , a statue that many have seen but are totally unaware of. According to the Madrid City Council, it is a sculpture donated to the city by the Mexican state of Veracruz, under the mandate of Miguel Alemán.
It is actually a replica, from 2005, of one of the colossal heads sculpted by the pre-Columbian Olmec culture. Well, it reproduces Colossal Head No. 8, known as the “King” , which must have been carved between 1200 and 900 BC. C and is currently considered one of the most representative pieces of the group of 17 complete Olmec heads found to date.
The original work was found in San Lorenzo Tonochtitlán, in the aforementioned State of Veracruz, and today it is exhibited in the National Museum of Anthropology and History of Xalapa.
When was this replica inaugurated?
It is installed in one of the main roundabouts of the Ensanche de Vallecas and its inauguration took place on May 23, 2007.
This bust has a size of 2.18 meters in height by 1.46 in width. It weighs 5 tons and as for the head we can highlight that it is sculpted with light gray sedimentary stone.
Origin of such heads
They are creations that surprise for their monumentality and the complexity of the technique used by the natives, given the monolithic character of the pieces. This replica, according to the Madrid City Council, was carved, over three months, in the workshop of the Mexican sculptor Ignacio Pérez Solano, in Veracruz.
Because it was a really precise work and of great importance to make it look very similar to the original, the Olmec head from Madrid presents a result that is almost identical to the original, presenting the same dimensions and a very similar weight, 5.5 tons.
It is called King and this to its majestic appearance. It should be noted that it has a severe appearance and is dressed with a helmet or headdress.
There are different representations of this figure, because it is not clear who it could be, if a priest or even a ball player, who used to wear a helmet or headdress with similar characteristics.
In any case, it draws a lot of attention and is in an area where it is not so normal to see such figures and statues. What is certain is that many of the people who pass through here have not noticed what it is , its origin and when it ended up.
In Madrid there are many other statues that should be known and known and what we do not even know about.
