Lot 8A
Pre-Columbian, West Mexico, Jalisco, Ameca-Ezatlan type, ca. 100 BCE to 250 BCE. A powerful and enigmatic redware sculpture from the Jalisco Ameca-Ezatlan tradition, this semi-nude female figure commands attention with her bold presence and expressive form. Seated in a grounded, kneeling position with arms extended and palms held forward, she assumes a stance of resistance - at once welcoming and warding, as if guarding the threshold between the living and the dead. Her upright posture and outstretched arms suggest she was meant to confront or halt an intruder, evoking the spirit of a sentinel positioned at the entrance of a tomb. The figure's anatomical detail is rendered with exceptional clarity and care. Her chest is bared, revealing sharply modeled, high-pointed breasts, and she wears a long skirt that clings to the contours of her legs. Her hands are remarkable - fingers individually formed and punctuated by clearly defined nail beds, adding a lifelike intimacy to the clay. Size: 8" L x 10.8" W x 13.9" H (20.3 cm x 27.4 cm x 35.3 cm)
Though her feet are tucked beneath her, her broad thighs and upright torso communicate alertness and strength. The head is held upright, the expression intense: almond-shaped, bulging eyes stare out under heavy lids; parted lips reveal rows of teeth; and arched brows lend a sense of concern or focus. She wears no adornments, no earspools or jewelry - only a tall, softly peaked headdress that elongates the silhouette of her head, enhancing her otherworldly bearing.
Created between 100 BCE and 250 CE, this sculpture reflects the ritual and funerary practices of the ancient West Mexican shaft tomb culture. Figures like this were not merely decorative - they served as spiritual agents, placed in tombs to accompany or protect the deceased, perhaps representing ancestors, deities, or individuals of social importance. Her assertive posture and unclothed form may convey both physical and metaphysical roles, symbolizing openness to divine communication and the responsibility of guardianship in the afterlife. A testament to the expressive genius of ancient Jalisco potters, this kneeling guardian encapsulates a worldview in which the living, the dead, and the divine coexist - and where even clay could hold the power to protect, to remember, and to speak.
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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#194320
- Condition: Professionally repaiered and restored with repainting over break lines; all done expertly and very difficult to notice. Some nicks and abrasions to surface commensurate with age, but, otherwise, excellent presentation with impressive detail and scattered earthen and mineral deposits to surface.
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