Lot 184
Pre-Columbian, West Mexico, Jalisco, ca. 300 BCE to 300 CE. This impressive San Juanito type polychrome female figure is of quite a large scale - measuring approximately 22.5 tall by about 12.5 wide! The surface of the figure is adorned with original pigments of red and black over a cream slip - detailing attractive tattoos on her breasts, armbands, and clothing. She wears a pant-like garment, typical and distinct for West Mexican cultures, as well as ornate ear ornaments, and a caplike headdress over her coiffure, with locks of hair extending forward over her shoulders. Custom stand. Size: 12.5" W x 22.5" H (31.8 cm x 57.2 cm); 24" H (61 cm) on included custom stand.
The figure is shown with her arms and hands gesturing in such a way that in modern cultural contexts might imply to stop or back-off. Although the original, indigenous meaning for this gesture in ancient West Mexican culture is undetermined, it has been suggested that this gesture may have been symbolic for warding off female menstrual cycles in an effort to promote fertility, since it is typically depicted on female figures. Otherwise, since these figures were interred with the deceased in the West Mexican shaft tombs, the gesture may relate to their afterlife ideology, or may simply represent a symbolic effort to keep away intruders or malevolent influences from the deceased.
Provenance: private S. H. collection, Santa Clara, California, USA
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#126271
- Condition: Expected surface wear commensurate with age. Repair to one foot and small area on buttocks. Minor losses to hands, feet, and peripheries. Covered with manganese deposits.
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