*SCULPTURE
representing a naked woman standing, holding a dish in her hands.
The legs, wide and thick, are separated. The folds of the knees are marked and the feet are roughly carved. The sex is apparent. The navel is hollowed out. The breasts are small and round. The shoulders are covered with pastillage scarification. The short arms are bent and raised towards the chest; they hold a large dish in their hands. The neck is adorned with a necklace with pendant. The face is serene. The mouth is small and half-open. The nose is thin and straight, and its nostrils are pierced. The eyes, hollowed out in the shape of coffee beans, seem to be closed, which gives the figure a certain meditative expression. The superciliary arches are arched and meet the root of the nose. The ears are finely drawn and decorated with circular curls. The forehead is high. The head is topped by a set of fine ridges that may signify hair. A firing hole has been made at the back of the head.
Brown hollow clay with reddish-brown slip and traces of manganese oxide
Colima, Mexico, 100 BC - 250 AD
47.1 x 24.2 x 20.8 cm
Lot presented as a Temporary Importation
Provenance:
- Former Guy Joussemet collection since 1968
- Former Alain Birn collection since 1995
- Mermoz Gallery, 2001
The Colima culture developed in the western region of Mexico, along the Pacific Ocean, between 300 B.C. and 300 A.D. It belongs to the cultural group known as the "West Coast," which also includes the Jalisco and Nayarit cultures. The art of Colima is characterized by a tradition of cultic ceramics, mainly depicting ritual scenes or scenes of daily life, and most often with a sacred character. These sculptures are remarkable for their extremely fine polish and their characteristic orange-brown colour. The sculptures representing women are relatively numerous and testify to the important role they could play in these ancestral societies. This one could represent the public presentation of a young girl and could therefore be part of the ancient tradition of initiation rites. Its serenity and meditative expression give it an almost divine dimension.
Broken and glued feet and small restorations
