That definitely looks more Mayan than Aztec, in my opinion, but I question its authenticity. There is something not quite right about it, and the features of the face are not typical. (Too rounded and soft -- actually rather cartoon-like -- whereas the typical face has a more pronounced and chiseled look, especially in the nose area.) You said that your fiance's mother claimed it was carved by a slave? I wonder if that may actually be the truth of it. Possibly a slave copied something s/he saw -- as in a real bas relief or statue on an ancient ruin. If that was the case, it would still be old, just not that old (and of course, not Mayan). Oddly, the features look more negroid than paleo-mongoloid (native Americans), and since people often tend to put themselves into their art subconsciously, that may be the case here. (Assuming of course, we are talking about a black slave and not a slave of other ethnicity.)
I would be interested in knowing the general provenance and the type of stone though. Also, how large is it?
