Lot 119N
Pre-Columbian, West Mexico, Jalisco, ca. 300 BCE to 300 CE. A fascinating erotic figure that raises many questions. Both the male and the female figures have expressive faces, her with wide open eyes and him with a sly smile on his face - but it is difficult to not read modern expressions into their dynamic pose. Size: 4.8" L x 3.8" W x 5.05" H (12.2 cm x 9.7 cm x 12.8 cm)
In this culture, the dead were buried down shafts -- 3 to 20 meters deep -- that were dug vertically or near vertically through the volcanic tuff that makes up the geology of the region. The base of the shaft would open into one or more horizontal chambers with a low ceiling. These shafts were almost always dug beneath a dwelling, probably a family home, and seem to have been used as family mausoleums, housing the remains of many related individuals. This is a figure made to be placed inside those mausoleums, perhaps to mediate between the worlds of the living and the dead. Its erotic theme speaks to a joyfulness in death as well as an emphasis on fertility.
Provenance: Ex-Triffo Collection, acquired in the 1970s
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#119627
- Condition: Repaired from about 5 pieces but all original. Nice pigment remaining.
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| $5,000 | $9,999 | $500 |
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| $100,000 | $199,999 | $10,000 |
| $200,000 + | $25,000 |