The La Cobata head is more or less rounded and measures 3 by 3 metres ( 9 @.@ 8 by 9 @.@ 8 ft ) by 3 @.@ 4 metres ( 11 ft ) high , making it the largest known head . This massive sculpture is estimated to weigh 40 tons . It is stylistically distinct from the other examples , and Beatriz de la Fuente placed it late in the Olmec time frame . The characteristics of the sculpture have led to some investigators suggesting that it represents a deceased person . Norman Hammond argues that the apparent stylistic differences of the monument stem from its unfinished state rather than its late production . The eyes of the monument are closed , the nose is flattened and lacks nostrils and the mouth was not sculpted in a realistic manner . The headdress is in the form of a plain horizontal band .