Jalisco El Arenal Pottery Standing Female Figure

Pre-Columbian, West Mexico, Jalisco, El Arenal type, Protoclassic Period, ca. 100 BCE to 250 CE. A fabulous pottery female figure standing upon a pair of arching feet and stocky legs. Her body is comprised of a distended torso, ample hips, square shoulders, and pointed breasts with prominent nipples, emphasizing her feminine physique. She stands upright with a rigid posture and attenuated arms, each adorned by a thick bangle. Capped with a flared headdress, her elongated head exhibits a stylized visage comprised of heavy-lidded, almond-shaped eyes, a prominent nose with a barrel-shaped nose ring, long ears with accompanying ear spools, and an open mouth. Her body boasts a cream-hued slip exterior, though traces of burnt orange pigment around her waist and on her earspools suggest she may have once exhibited even more elaborate decorations. A fabulous example from ancient Western Mexico! Size: 5" W x 7.4" H (12.7 cm x 18.8 cm)

Clay figures like this example are the only remains that we have today of this sophisticated and unique culture in West Mexico. The indigenous made no above-ground monuments or sculptures, at least that we know of, which is in stark contrast to developments elsewhere in ancient Mesoamerica. Instead, they developed a widely-used method of burial known as shaft tombs.

Provenance: private W. M. collection, Traverse City, Michigan, USA; acquired by Mr. and Mrs. Bergsma prior to 1976 in Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA

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#165526
Condition Report: Light resurfacing and loss of pigments in areas. Otherwise, intact and excellent.