Lot 204, Auction 3/19/2026: Costa Rican Nicoya Pottery Seated Nude Female Figure

$520.00

In stock

Pre-Columbian, Central America, Costa Rica, Nicoya region, ca. 800 to 1200 CE. A finely modeled Nicoya pottery figure depicting a seated nude female with legs drawn upward and arms resting at the sides of the torso. The figure displays exposed breasts and clearly delineated genitalia, emphasizing themes of fertility and the human body that appear frequently in Nicoya ceramic sculpture. The head is broad with large circular eyes, an open mouth, and pierced ears, while painted linear motifs accent the face and torso. The vessel is hollow and open at the top of the head, suggesting it functioned as a small container or ritual vessel. The warm red-orange slip is enhanced with dark painted details that highlight facial features, body markings, and decorative bands across the forehead. Figural ceramics such as this were widely produced in the Nicoya region of ancient Costa Rica and were often associated with ritual activity, ancestor veneration, or symbolic representations of fertility and life cycles within pre-Columbian societies. Size: 3.7″ W x 5″ H (9.4 cm x 12.7 cm)

Condition: Professionally repaired with restoration and repainting over break lines, though some are still slightly visible in areas. Light surface wear, but, otherwise, nice presentation with good pigments.

Provenance: Collection of Y. Kayvan, Los Angeles, California, USA, acquired from a Los Angeles, California, USA gallery acquisition dates range from the late 1990s to 2005

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