Maya Terracotta Female Figure, Tiquisate Region, Guatemala, ca. 600–900 CE

Height: 9 5/8 in. (24.4 cm)

A finely modeled terracotta figure of a seated female, her hands gracefully resting upon her knees, rendered with a calm, introspective expression. The figure is adorned with an elaborate crescent headdress decorated in relief with geometric motifs, large circular earspools, and a prominent beaded necklace that accentuates her status and ritual significance. The slightly forward-projecting nose, full lips, and refined facial modeling are typical of the Escuintla–Tiquisate sculptural tradition of the southern Maya lowlands.

The figure’s surface retains areas of orange slip and scattered manganese deposits consistent with long interment. A circular vent hole on the reverse indicates careful firing technique. The distinctive headdress form and posture are characteristic of Late Classic period representations of high-ranking women or attendants associated with courtly ritual or ancestor veneration.

Comparable examples are held in the collections of the Museo Nacional de Arqueología y Etnología, Guatemala City, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (see inv. 1979.206.1212 for a related seated figure).

Provenance:
Ex. Private Austin, Texas collection, acquired through family descent; originally collected in the 1960s.