Pre-Columbian, Gulf Coast of Mexico, Veracruz, Remojadas, ca. 600 to 900 CE. A playful pottery sonriente or smiling face exhibiting a heart-shaped visage with a raised brow, a pair of narrowed ovoid eyes, a broad nose, prominent cheeks, and - of course - a smile, with parted lips exposing top and bottom teeth, as well as a protruding tongue - as though mid-laugh. This jovial child wears a square headdress that flares at the top, balancing just above a pair of intricately molded ears. Large beads of a necklace or pectoral can be seen just below the child's pointed chin and a petite V-shaped design decorates the area at the top of the nose. Size: 6.4" W x 7.1" H (16.3 cm x 18 cm); 10.3" H (26.2 cm) on included custom stand.
Sonrientes or "smiling faces" are the most famous pottery figures from this period in Veracruz (known as Remojadas for its keystone archaeological site). Like this one, they depict wide, smiling, childlike faces, often with teeth showing. Smiling faces are very rare in Mesoamerican art, but in Remojadas and the surrounding area, these Sonrientes were apparently popular, leading to a mystery for archaeologists. Some have suggested that the smiles are the result of consuming the alcoholic beverage pulque or taking hallucinogenic drugs; others see them as representing performers.
Provenance: private Houston, Texas, USA collection; ex-private Houston, Texas, USA, collection, acquired before 2000
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#167349
Condition
Fragment of a larger piece. Drill hole in verso for attachment to stand. Loss to proper right ear. Expected nicks and abrasions, commensurate with age. Otherwise, very nice with light earthen deposits in areas.