Lot 172A
Latin America, Mexico, Ocumichu, stamped "Catalina Martines" (for the artist Catalina Martines Benito) underneath the base, ca. 1940 CE. The tiny town of Ocumicho in the rural Mexican state of Michoacan is the home of some of the most unique Mexican sculptures in which devils and other odd characters, whether they be sun gods, drunkards, or mermaids, cavort and are featured in ceramic tableaux that were made famous by an artist named Marcelino Vicente, but Vicente was actually influenced by the women of his small town who were already creating such bizarre ceramic compositions. This example was in fact created by a predecessor of Vicente, a female artist named Catalina Martines Benito who worked in the 1940s. Here we have a ceramic fantasy that features a trio of large horned diablito figures amidst writhing serpents in the desert, a central red figure standing upon a black orb flanked by two black diablitos seated upon the open lobes of a prickly cactus plant. Such Mexican versions of Dante's Inferno or Hieronymous Bosch's nightmarish visions from the 1500s, only with a folk art and Catholic flavor, occupied by writhing diablitos have become, strangely enough, an icon of a relatively conservative, pious community. The piece is comprised of fired red clay; however, the glazes were not fired. Instead, they were painted and then lacquered to produce an attractive sheen. Since they are not glaze fired, such works are quite fragile and most have not survived the test of time this well. Lucky for us, this one has! Size: 10.5" W x 13.375" H (26.7 cm x 34 cm)
Follow this link for further understanding of Catalina Martines Benito's work - http://www.mexicoartshow.com/catalina.html. For further reading about Marcelino Vicente, follow this link to Oatman-Stanford's article entitled, "Diablitos in the Details: The Curious Tale of Mexico's Most Peculiar Pottery" (April 5, 2013) - http://www.collectorsweekly.com/articles/the-curious-tale-of-mexicos-most-peculiar-pottery/
Provenance: Ex-James Byrnes collection, LA. Mr. Byrnes was the first curator for LACMA - Los Angeles County Museum of Art
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#113718
- Condition: A few repairs and losses as shown.
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