Nayarit Seated Female Sorrowful Pose, ex-Schmitt

**Originally Listed At $400**

Pre-Columbian, West Mexico, Nayarit, Ixtlan del Rio type, ca. 300 BCE to 300 CE. An evocative pottery figure of a seated female, eyes nearly shut and head tilted toward the heavens as she opens her mouth letting out a deep howl - a sonorous song of joy or a mournful moan of sorrow. Bare-chested, a skirt lays across her splayed legs as a headband surmounts her incised coiffure and elaborate ornaments adorn her ears and nose - indicators of her heightened status. Terracotta figures like this were traditionally placed in deep shaft tombs and buried with the dead, intended to represent ancestors, and serve as guides for the deceased as they make their transition from the realm of the living to the underworld. Traces of undulating striations are painted across her body, contrasting the square shape of her body while accentuating the curvature of her voluptuous breasts. Size: 9.9" W x 14.9" H (25.1 cm x 37.8 cm)

Provenance: ex-Marc Amiguet Schmitt estate, Amiguet's Ancient Art, Evansville, Indiana, USA, acquired prior to January 1, 2010

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#174989
Condition Report: Missing arms. Professionally repaired with restoration and chipping to ear. Surface wear as shown, but otherwise very nice with rich manganese and ample remaining detail.