Description:

**First Time At Auction**

Pre-Columbian, West Mexico, Nayarit, ca. 300 BCE to 300 CE. A burnished red ceramic figure of a woman kneeling with legs beneath her and hands on her large stomach. The female's face is tilted upward, with a wide face and prominent nose and ears; her hair is a light orange, with incised lines giving her the appearance of having straight hair. A single, very thin, cream-colored line has been painted around her lower body. Size: 3.5" L x 3" W x 4.45" H (8.9 cm x 7.6 cm x 11.3 cm)

This style of sculpture is known as Chinesco by collectors because of its stylistic similarities to Chinese art. Clay figures like this one are some of the only remains that we have today of a sophisticated and unique culture in West Mexico - they left few above-ground monuments or sculptures, at least that we know of, which is in strong contrast to developments elsewhere in ancient Mesoamerica. Instead, their tombs were their lasting works of art: skeletons arrayed radially with their feet positioned inward, and clay offerings, like this one, placed alongside the walls facing inward, near the skulls.

Provenance: Ex-private , San Francisco, CA Collection

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#120127

  • Condition: Intact, with manganese deposits liberally over the surface.

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February 27, 2017 9:00 AM MST
Louisville, CO, US

Artemis Fine Arts

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$0 $299 $25
$300 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,000
$50,000 $99,999 $5,000
$100,000 $199,999 $10,000
$200,000 + $25,000