Description:

Pre-Columbian, West Mexico, Jalisco, ca. 300 BCE to 400 CE. This is a large hollow ceramic figure depicting a seated woman. There is a hole in the top of her head to prevent the pottery from shattering when fired in the kilning process. She is naked, with black slip designs that have been interpreted to indicate tattoos. Her one remaining ear has an elaborate earring. Ancient West Mexico was home to a highly sophisticated culture that constructed earth mounds, ritual circles, and shaft tombs; most of what we know of them archaeologically comes from the figures, like this one, that were buried in their shaft tombs. However, there are clear differences between the Jalisco and other traditions (Colima and Nayarit) of shaft tomb builders and today we do not believe that they were a single unified culture, despite their shared architectural traditions. Jalisco pieces like this one are distinguished by seated positions for their female figurines and their large size. These figures would have been positioned facing outward from the walls of graves, as if in conversation with the dead. Size: 15 1/2" tall, 7" wide, and 6" deep.

Provenance: Ex-private Olan collection, California, by family descent, acquired 1960 to 1970.

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#110203

  • Condition: Intact with no visible cracks or repairs. Expected patina and dirt staining, but slip decorations are still clearly visible, especially on the face and upper torso. One ear is chipped off.

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October 22, 2015 8:00 AM MDT
Louisville, CO, US

Artemis Fine Arts

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$100,000 $199,999 $10,000
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