155 - - Seated Mother

- Seated Mother richly dressed Polychrome terracotta. Bahía, Ecuador, ca. 500 B.C. – 500 A.D. 37.5 x 18.5 x 15 cm Thermoluminescence analysis by Archolabs TL, January 26, 2005. Provenance: Former collection of Mr. and Mrs. M., Paris; acquired from Dr. Barletta in 1961. Sens Auction, Sens, May 22, 2005, lot no. 52. Seated, this woman holds a child reclining on her outstretched hands. The richness of the necklace, earrings, and clothing suggests a high social standing within the community. A tall headdress, extended by drapery reminiscent of a veil, accentuates the elongation of the head. The frontal orientation and the positioning of the hands lend the gesture a particular solemnity, suggesting a ritual presentation of the child, perhaps to a deity. A Bahía mother figure held at the Metropolitan Museum displays a comparable gesture, also interpreted by the museum as a presentation. Comparative reference: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Figure Holding Child, Bahía culture, inv. 1991.436.6: comparison based on the seated position and the gesture of presenting the child.