Description
This ceramic figurine—in the style of Tlatilco, an early village site near Mexico City—depicts a nude female with an elaborate coiffure, attenuated arms, and the traces of mineral pigment. Since many figurines from the period depict females, modern interpreters usually connect them to fertility concerns. At Tlatilco, figurines were found in human burials that had been placed under the floors of homes.
Provenance
(Everett Rassiga, Inc., New York, NY, 1963, sold to James C. and Florence C. Gruener) (?-1963); James C. [1903-1990] and Florence C. [1908-1982] Gruener, Cleveland, OH, bequest to the Cleveland Museum of Art (1963-1990); The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (1990-)
Accession Number
1990.144
Medium
earthenware with pigment
Dimensions
Overall: 10.9 x 4.1 cm (4 5/16 x 1 5/8 in.)
Classification
Sculpture
Credit Line
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. James C. Gruener
