Pre-Columbian, Gulf Coast of Mexico, Veracruz culture, ca. 500 to 700 CE. A fine representation of the intricate ceramic work of this culture, this is a depiction of a lord with a huge headdress being born on a pallet. Two attendant figures flank the front ends of the pallet, their faces serious, as if guarding the lord. The figure of the lord is dominated by an enormous headdress that is larger than the face of the figure. He stands, holding the sloping sides of the pallet, with his hands carefully depicted. Figures like this give us a wonderful view into what life was like in ancient Veracruz. Size: 7.5" L x 3" W x 6.55" H (19 cm x 7.6 cm x 16.6 cm)
This figure combines the amazing style of the Veracruz, who had the ability to combine realistic features (see here, for example, the way the fingers are depicted) with stylized items (the entire mask). Excavations near the modern Mexican town of Remojadas have revealed two types of impressive, detailed pottery figures from the Veracruz period: the Sonrientes, the joyous "smiling faces", and figures like this one, more serious, mostly adult figures, with elaborate costumes, themes, and sometimes props that all seem to point towards religious or political ceremonies.
Provenance: private Hawaii, USA collection; ex private Los Angeles, California, USA collection
All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back.
A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids.
We ship worldwide and handle all shipping in-house for your convenience.
#132278
Condition
Repaired from multiple pieces, with restoration/overpainting along the repaired lines.