Female Figurine

Description

This ceramic figurine—in the style of Tlatilco, an early village site in central Mexico—depicts a female with an enigmatic motif incised on the back of her head and substantial traces of red and white pigment. Since many figurines from the period depict females, modern interpreters usually connect them to fertility concerns. They also seem to testify to the importance of women among early Mesoamerican cultures.

Provenance

(Black Tulip Galleries, Inc., Dallas, TX, 1959, sold to James C. and Florence C. Gruener) (?-1959); James C. [1903-1990] and Florence C. [1908-1982] Gruener, Cleveland, OH, bequest to the Cleveland Museum of Art (1959-1990); The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (1990-)

Female Figurine

[]

1200–900 BCE

Accession Number

1990.140

Medium

pottery with white and red pigment

Dimensions

Overall: 12.6 x 5.3 x 3.2 cm (4 15/16 x 2 1/16 x 1 1/4 in.)

Classification

Sculpture

Museum

The Cleveland Museum of Art

Cleveland, United States

Credit Line

Gift of Mr. and Mrs. James C. Gruener