Lot 2A
Pre-Columbian, West Mexico, Nayarit, San Sebastian style, ca. 300 BCE to 300 CE. A striking red-slipped pottery figure of a seated nude woman, modeled with the distinctive volumetric form and expressive abstraction characteristic of the San Sebastian style. She sits upright with her legs bent at the knees, her arms curving beneath her full, prominent breasts in a gesture that accentuates fertility and sensuality. Her genitalia are carefully delineated, further emphasizing her generative role within the symbolic language of fertility and continuity that pervaded West Mexican art. Her head, elongated and slightly tilted, bears a serene yet introspective expression. The mouth and nostrils are deeply incised, while the eyes are reduced to narrow slits conveying quiet presence. Size: 6" L x 7.5" W x 16.8" H (15.2 cm x 19 cm x 42.7 cm)
Her elaborate coiffure is incised with striated lines that sweep down the back of her head, and her ears are adorned with three large earrings on each side - an indication of status or ritual adornment. The burnished surface, rich in red slip, gives the sculpture an almost lifelike warmth, while the minimal modeling of limbs and torso reflects the aesthetic conventions of San Sebastian figures - stylized yet deeply human. Figures such as this were placed within shaft tombs, serving as guardians or companions for the deceased and embodying themes of fertility, lineage, and the enduring life force.
Provenance: private Colorado, USA collection; ex-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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#197624
- Condition: Professionally repaired with restoration and repainting over break lines; all done expertly and difficult to notice. Some minor nicks and surface wear, commensurate with age. Otherwise, excellent presentation with rich earthen deposits to interior.
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