Huastec Stone Female Figure
Pre-Columbian, Huastec culture, Veracruz region, Mexico, ca. 900–1500 CE
Height: 14 ½ in. (36.8 cm)

An elegant sandstone sculpture representing a seated female figure, carved in the distinctive style of the Huastec culture of the Gulf Coast. The figure displays a serene, composed facial expression with almond-shaped eyes, a prominent nose, and carefully rendered features, including large ear ornaments and a headband that signify status. Her hands rest gently upon her torso, and the rounded, voluminous form of her body reflects associations with fertility, nourishment, and the generative powers of nature — central themes in Huastec belief systems.

Figures of this type were often placed within temples, ceremonial spaces, or domestic shrines, functioning as embodiments of fertility deities, revered ancestors, or guardians of agricultural abundance. The restrained modeling and monumental presence of this sculpture capture the Huastec emphasis on sacred embodiment and spiritual continuity.

Provenance: Provenance: Ex Leonard Auction; deaccesioned from The Lake Forest College Art collection, Illinois, USA.