Fine Zacatecas Bi-Chrome Seated Female Figural Vessel

Pre-Columbian, West Mexico, Jalisco region, Zacatecas culture, Protoclassic Period, ca. 100 BCE to 250 CE. A fine hollow-built pottery figure of a fine form depicting a female figure seated with bent legs atop a pair of integral 'legs' protruding from her posterior. The nude woman presents with ample thighs, sinuous arms draped down from rounded shoulders to her wide hips, a broad abdomen boasting perky breasts, and a tapered neckline. The brown-slipped body is further accentuated with vibrant red slip on her arms and breasts, vertical red stripes on her body, and traces of negative-resist zigzagging motifs in black on her chest, arms, neck, and back. The minimalist countenance is formed via coffee-bean-shaped eyes, a bulbous nose, pursed lips, and perforated ears meant to display additional ornamentation, all beneath a thick vessel rim. Size: 8" W x 11" H (20.3 cm x 27.9 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: Howard Rose Gallery, New York, New York, USA; ex-private Nevada, USA collection; ex-Dr. David Harner collection, Arkansas, USA, acquired during the 1950s to 1960s

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#153072 Dimensions: Condition Report: Repairs to both feet, both arms, and neck, with resurfacing and overpainting along break lines. Abrasions and nicks to limbs, body, and head, with fading to original pigmentation, softening to some finer details, and light encrustations. Light earthen deposits and nice traces of original pigment throughout. Old inventory label and old inventory number written in black ink beneath bottom of one leg.