*Sculpture anthropomorphe

representing a standing figure. The elongated skull, enlarged by a ritual deformation, is adorned with a very tight headdress. The high, receding forehead is interrupted by a prominent supraorbital bulge. The long, aquiline nose has a nasal ring. The eyes with hemmed eyelids are hollowed out in the shape of an almond. The ears, small and prominent, are pierced. The narrow shoulders frame a small chest. The tubular arms are represented along the body. The hands are not shown and can be seen at the top of the folded thighs. The delicately modelled buttocks are as wide as the long ellipsoid legs. The straight feet are visible through a short slope. The beige complexion of the face is enhanced by red paint. Two parallel lines run from the right ear to the nose, forming what looks like a handprint. Three other lines, coming from the left side of the jaw, frame the left eye. The body of this woman, entirely colored in red, is decorated with beige painted elements such as a necklace, a loincloth and arm and ankle bracelets. Brown hollow clay with red, orange and beige slip. Behind the head, traces of burns due to firing. Broken and glued forehead Lagunillas - Chinesco - Nayarit, Mexico, 100 BC - 250 AD 35.5 x 16.3 x 8.8 cm Provenance: - Former Jean-Louis Sonnery collection since 1966 - Former collection of Mme, Sabran since 1974 - Former collection of Pierre de Mace de Gastines de Dommaigne, by descent Comparative works : - Standing woman, Nayarit, Mexico, 300 BC-200 AD, terracotta, 38.5 cm, The Walters Art Museum, Baltimore, US - Seated woman, Nayarit, Mexico, 100 BC-250 AD, terra cotta, 21.59 cm, Southwest Museum of the American Indian, Los Angeles, US Lot presented under the temporary importation regime This figure is a very fine example of a Chinesco terracotta figurine. The harmony of the forms and the balance of the proportions combine with the serene and spontaneous attitude of the figure to give it a remarkable expressive power. Moreover, its quality of execution and its state of preservation further highlight its very beautiful aesthetics. Chinesco ceramics are associated with a specific territory, in the southwest of Nayarit, around the villages of Las Cebollas and Santiago Compostella. This name means "Chinese" in Spanish. Its origin is not known precisely. It would be due to the fortuitous resemblance of these figures with slanted eyes with Asian art. Stylistically, the Chinesco works are characterized by a generous silhouette, playing with deliberately disproportionate shapes, and a delicate triangular face with a gentle, interiorized expression. Often depicted in a sitting or reclining position, with short bulbous legs that taper rapidly to a point, they embody idealized female figures, symbols of fertility.