146 - - Figure in ceremonial attire,

- Figure in ceremonial attire, probably associated with the rites of Xipe Totec Beige and orange terracotta with brown decoration; broken and re-glued; some minor touch-ups; traces of bitumen on the eyes. Veracruz, Mexico, probably from the Remojadas tradition. 29.5 x 24 cm Provenance: Arte Primitivo auction, New York, March 25, 2004, lot 80. Origine Auction, Bagnolet, September 26, 2015, lot 99. Standing with arms outstretched and palms facing forward, this figure assumes a posture of ceremonial presentation. The voluminous, tiered headdress and large ear ornaments frame a face with wide-open eyes and an expressive mouth. The patterned garment could evoke a human skin worn ritually, in accordance with a tradition attested in Veracruz and linked to the cults of vegetation renewal associated with Xipe Totec. The figure’s frontal orientation and the openness of its gesture lend it a vivid and solemn presence. Documentary references: – Museo Chileno de Arte Precolombino, Santiago, “El culto a Xipe Totec,” permanent exhibition *América precolombina en el arte*. For depictions of figures clad in human skins in Classical Veracruz. – Aarón Piña, “Anthropomorphic Head Depicting Xipe-Tótec (Fragment of an Effigy Vessel),” Museo Amparo, Puebla, catalog entry no. 2975. For the criteria for identifying this iconography in south-central Veracruz. – María Bertilla Beltrán Malagón, “Faces with Facial Decoration in Chapopote,” Museo Amparo, Puebla, catalog entry no. 2993. On the decorative use of natural bitumen on figurines.