Pre-Columbian, West Mexico, Jalisco, ca. 300 BCE to 300 CE. A skillfully modeled bichrome pottery kneeling female posed with her right hand behind her ear and her left hand extended outward, as if engaged in a ceremonial dance or chant. Possessing a characteristically elongated head, she has an expressive face comprised of coffee-bean shaped eyes, a long, protruding nose, closed mouth, and applied ears. She wears a red cap and a white skirt, but her breasts and slightly protruding (perhaps pregnant) belly are revealed. A wonderful example with nice deposits. Size: 8.75" W x 14.9" H (22.2 cm x 37.8 cm)
Ceramic figures like this one are some of the only remains that we have today of a sophisticated and unique culture in West Mexico - they left no above-ground monuments or sculptures, at least that we know of, which is in strong contrast to developments elsewhere in ancient Mesoamerica. Instead, their tombs were their lasting works of art: skeletons arrayed radially with their feet positioned inward, and terracotta offerings, like this seated woman, placed alongside the walls facing inward, near the skulls.
Provenance: private southern California, USA collection, acquired in the 1970s to mid-1980s
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#141538
Condition
Repaired and restored from multiple pieces, with the head reattached and a repair visible along the side of the skirt. These repairs are well done and generally difficult to see. Light deposits on surface.