Pair of Standing Figures

Description

Nagarit ceramic sculputres, like those of Colima, were manufactured for burial with the dead. The popular male-female couples may be portraits of the individuals with whom they were buried. This female figure, dressed in a colorful skirt and hat, has painted or tattooed patterns on her torso and face. Jewelry adorns her face, ears, and nose. The vessel on her shoulder symbolizes her domestic duties. Like his female companion, this male figure is portrayed in all his finery. He carries spears, indicating that he is a hunter or warrior, and his confident grin conveys aggression and vitality.

Provenance

(Ramon Ramirez, Indio, CA, 1970, to James C. and Florence C. Gruener) (?-1970); James C. [1903-1990] and Florence C. [1908-1982] Gruener, Cleveland, OH, bequest to the Cleveland Museum of Art (1970-1990); The Cleveland Museum of Art (1990)

Pair of Standing Figures

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c. 100 BCE–300 CE

Accession Number

1990.266

Medium

earthenware with colored slips

Dimensions

Overall: 52 x 32.5 x 19.5 cm (20 1/2 x 12 13/16 x 7 11/16 in.); Part 2: 48 x 30.8 x 16 cm (18 7/8 x 12 1/8 x 6 5/16 in.)

Classification

Sculpture

Museum

The Cleveland Museum of Art

Cleveland, United States

Credit Line

Gift of Mr. and Mrs. James C. Gruener