Lot 29
Pre-Columbian, West Mexico, Nayarit, San Sebastián style, ca. 300 BCE to 300 CE. A commanding figure of timeless presence, this hand-modeled terracotta female sits poised upon four sturdy legs, her rotund body animated by life and spirit. Formed from fine orange clay with traces of red and black slip, she is unmistakably of the San Sebastian tradition of Nayarit, one of the most expressive sculptural schools of ancient West Mexico. Her limbs curve outward with sculptural confidence, and her torso bears a rhythmic incised pattern suggesting body paint or textile adornment, now softened by age and ritual handling. Her breasts, pointed and abstracted, rest above hands pressed firmly to her abdomen, as if invoking the generative force of the body. The delineated genitalia emphasize her role as a fertility figure - an embodiment of female vitality, earth, and continuity. Size: 5.8" L x 6.4" W x 11.3" H (14.7 cm x 16.3 cm x 28.7 cm)
Her head rises with proud composure, marked by a close, striated coiffure and large perforated ears once adorned with ornaments. The open mouth and wide, hollow eyes give her an air of breath and utterance, as though caught between song and invocation.
Figures of this type were central to Nayarit funerary ritual, placed within shaft tombs to accompany the dead into the underworld. They may have represented ancestors, fertility deities, or participants in the ceremonial life of the living. The seated, alert pose and expressive modeling suggest both animation and authority - a sculptural echo of the continuity between human and divine. Rendered with warmth and reverence, this figure stands as a rare survivor of one of ancient Mexico's most intimate and humanistic artistic traditions.
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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#197217
- Condition: Professionally repaired with restoration and repainting over break lines, though some are just barely visible in areas. Expected surface wear with weathering to surface, but otherwise, excellent presentation with good detail and rich manganese deposits to surface.
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