Lot 199A
Pre-Columbian, Mexico, Veracruz culture, ca. 6th to 8th century CE. Dressed in a 'quexquemitl' or triangular smock and skirt, and wearing a tall feather headdress, the hand-molded figure stands in a ceremonial litter with his hands resting on the sloped side rails. Twin birds perch on the top of the side rails. The figure's mouth is open, his tongue sticking out; he seems to be wearing a mask that replicates a bird's beak. Size: 3.8" L x 6.25" W x 7" H (9.7 cm x 15.9 cm x 17.8 cm)
In Veracruz, we know that bird headdresses are associated with the ballgame - a central ceremony of Mesoamerican life, whose results had political, martial, and religious consequences. This figure would originally have been brightly painted.
For an almost identical example, probably made by the same hand, see Ceremonia Sculpture of Ancient Veracruz, Hillwood Art Center, Long Island University, 1987, no. 69, page 60.
Provenance: Ex Private NY Collection
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#119352
- Condition: Repairs and a few feathers and bird restored.
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