Nayarit San Sebastian Redware Maternity Figure - Nursing Mother

Pre-Columbian, Mexico, Nayarit, ca. 100 BCE – 300 CE. A seated mother rendered in burnished redware, her ample thighs splayed to anchor a solid, columnar body. She wears a bulbous headdress that crowns the elongated skull, applique earrings, and a slim necklace, while her nudity emphasizes fertility and the domestic role she embodies. In her right hand she cradles a shallow dish; against her left breast she holds an infant, likely captured mid-nursing. The modeling is confident and economical, with pierced septum, coffee-bean eyes, and fire-clouded slip lending mottled warmth to the surface. Maternity figures of the San Sebastian Red style are among the most tender products of West Mexican shaft-tomb culture, interred as companions for the dead and enduring emblems of lineage, nourishment, and continuity across generations. Size: 12.8" H x 6.3" W x 4.9" D (32.5 cm H x 16.0 cm W x 12.4 cm D). The San Sebastian Red type belongs to the shaft-tomb tradition of the Nayarit region of West Mexico, where the dead were placed in deep vertical shafts opening onto lateral chambers, accompanied by ceramic figures depicting warriors, ballplayers, households, and above all women and children. Maternity and nursing figures are read as expressions of fertility and ancestral continuity, affirming the vitality of the lineage even in death. The characteristic mottling seen here results from uneven, open-air firing rather than deliberate decoration, a hallmark that helps distinguish authentic examples of the tradition. Provenance: private Saint Louis, Missouri, USA collection acquired between 1970 and 1995 SHIPPING: We coordinate worldwide shipping in-house through specialist international forwarders experienced with fine art and antiquities customs manifests. International buyers must confirm, prior to bidding, that their country's customs authority will accept the item. All duties, taxes, clearance fees, and any costs arising from customs delays, seizures, re-export, returns, or loss in transit are the buyer's sole responsibility. Artemis assumes no liability for items refused entry, detained, or lost after export. We cannot ship ancient items to their country of origin (Egyptian to Egypt, Greek to Greece, etc.).For those not using LiveAuctioneers' Live Ship program, Artemis Fine Arts offers expert in-house packing and worldwide shipping. With over 20 years of experience, our team provides careful, reliable, and affordable service. For a quick quote on this lot, please contact support@artemisfinearts.com prior to the auction, or call 720-890-7700. PAYMENT EXCEPTION: For clients not previously established with Artemis, payment for all gold, precious metal, and gemstone lots must be made by bank wire transfer or certified bank check/money order, without exception. Item # 203965

Condition
Professionally repaired with infill along break lines and some resurfacing in areas. Chipping to feet and surface wear as shown, all commensurate with age. Otherwise, excellent presentation with good remaining detail and rich mineral deposits.