Lot 58A
Pre-Columbian, West Mexico, Jalisco, ca. 300 BCE to 300 CE. A monumental Jalisco pottery figure that celebrates fertility, status, and ceremonial presence through an unapologetically corporeal form. Shown standing upright, the figure is bare-chested with prominent breasts and a pronounced, pregnant belly, her physicality rendered with deliberate emphasis and sculptural confidence. The body is richly detailed, with stippled shoulders interpreted as ritual scarification, a marker of rank or ceremonial identity within West Mexican societies. She wears nasal rings and large earrings, along with a collar necklace incised across the upper chest. A patterned cloth wraps the upper portion of her legs, while the lower limbs remain solid and firmly planted, reinforcing the figure's sense of grounded authority. Her face is broad and composed, framed by an incised coiffure that falls down the back, a hallmark of Jalisco figural style. Size: 10.6" W x 15.1" H (26.9 cm x 38.4 cm)
The proportions, including the long face, compact arms, and expansive torso, adhere to regional conventions rather than naturalism, signaling symbolic intent over portraiture.
Large-scale figures such as this were likely placed within Jalisco shaft tombs as part of group assemblages, serving as powerful presences in funerary contexts. They may represent ancestral figures, fertility icons, or elite women, embodying continuity, regeneration, and social memory. With its impressive scale and ritualized detailing, this figure stands as a vivid testament to the expressive strength of Jalisco ceramic tradition.
Provenance: Collection of Y. Kayvan, Los Angeles, California, USA, acquired from a Los Angeles, California, USA gallery acquisition dates range from the late 1990s to 2005
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#199164
- Condition: Professionally repaired and restored with repainting over break lines, though some are slightly visible in areas. Nicks, chips, and abrasions as shown, all commensurate with age. Otherwise, excellent presentation with good remaining pigments and detail.
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