Lot 51
Pre-Columbian, West Mexico, Zacatecas culture, Early Classic Period, ca. 250 to 450 CE. A fine hollow-built pottery figure depicting a female figure seated with bent legs protruding from her posterior. The nude woman presents with ample thighs, sinuous arms extending from rounded shoulders to her wide hips, a broad torso boasting perky breasts, and a tapered neckline. The warm golden terracotta body is further accentuated with vibrant red slip on her arms, torso, and legs, as well as marvelous multiple black V-shaped negative-resist motifs on her chest, perhaps to represent necklaces, tattoos, or body paint. Finally, her expressive countenance is comprised of coffee-bean-shaped eyes, a bulbous nose with delineated nostrils, an open mouth, and perforated ears meant to display additional ornaments. Size: 5.4" W x 12.8" H (13.7 cm x 32.5 cm)
The sculptural creations from the Zacatecas peoples are some of the most admired figures to come out of ancient West Mexico. The consistency of form, the bright, recognizable colors of the slip pigmentation, and the highly-abstract presentation make Zacatecas figures among the most unique ceramic statues from anywhere in the world; male figures and female figures like this example are often found in pairs exhibiting similar stylization. Though specific to areas of Jalisco, Mexico, these statues are often scarce as scholars believe they were produced only for a brief period of ancient Mesoamerican history.
For another example of a seated female figure without the characteristic Zacatecas coiffure protrusions, please see: Kan, Michael, Clement Meighan, and H.B. Nicholson. "Sculpture of Ancient West Mexico: Nayarit, Jalisco, Colima: A Catalogue of the Proctor Stafford Collection at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art." University of New Mexico Press, Albuquerque, New Mexico, 1989, p. 126, fig. 99b.
Provenance: ex-Sotheby's New York, November 24, 1986, Lot 242, Zero Mostel Collection
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#156284
- Condition: Small loss from one foot and small repair to rim, but otherwise in excellent condition. Nice remaining pigment with rich deposits.
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