PRE-COLUMBIAN CHINESCO SEATED FIGURE, TYPE C
Nayarit, ca. 300 B.C.–A.D. 300

Superbly modeled hollow pottery figure seated cross-legged, grasping a pestle and shallow mortar held before the chest in an act of ritual preparation. The expressive face displays broad features with a prominent nose, large circular ear ornaments, and painted headband; traces of original red, cream, and black slip remain throughout, forming decorative bands and a broad vertical stripe down the back. The figure’s posture and painted ornamentation are characteristic of the Chinesco Type C style from the Ixtlán del Río region, closely comparable to examples published in Ancient West Mexico: Art and Archaeology of the Unknown Past by Richard F. Townsend (The Art Institute of Chicago, 1998). Figures of this type are thought to represent ritual specialists engaged in the preparation of ceremonial or medicinal substances.

The pestle has been reattached with a visible break line; otherwise intact and in excellent overall condition, with fine preservation of surface and pigments.

Height 11 in (27.9 cm)

Provenance:
Ex T. Birbiglia Collection, Los Angeles
Ex Private California Collection, acquired from an estate in Hollywood, California, in 1969