Veracruz Seated Female Figure

Classic Veracruz, ca. 600–900 A.D.
Height: 14 in. (35.5 cm)

Superbly modeled in buff terracotta, this expressive figure depicts a seated woman with hands gracefully resting upon her knees, adorned with large ear ornaments, a beaded necklace, and bracelets. Her head is slightly tilted upward, with parted lips and deeply incised eyes conveying a sense of quiet composure. The figure wears a short cape and a tall headdress painted with bitumen highlights forming geometric motifs, traces of which remain visible across the upper section. The rear of the figure is open with two rectangular apertures, typical of hollow-molded Veracruz sculptures to aid in firing.

Repaired from approximately eight original fragments with visible break lines and minor losses, overall in stable condition with good preservation of surface details and pigments.

Provenance:
Ex. Abell Auction, Los Angeles, California
Ex. Important Private Southern California Estate

Comparable examples: see Sotheby’s, New York, Pre-Columbian Art, May 15, 2019, lot 38; Townsend, “Ancient Veracruz Art,” Chicago, 1998, fig. 72.