Lot 56, Auction 4/12/2026: Nayarit Pottery Nude Female w/ Scarification & Jewelry

$390.00

In stock

Pre-Columbian, West Mexico, Nayarit, ca. 300 BCE to 300 CE. A powerful image of womanhood rendered in clay, this seated female figure from ancient Nayarit culture commands presence through her bold form and ceremonial adornment. Her nudity is frank and intentional, accentuated by prominent breasts, exposed genitalia, and a wide-legged stance that grounds her with force and confidence. She wears a broad headband that wraps around her coiffed hair, incised with a central triple-knot motif. Hooped earrings flank her face, and her neck is encircled with two stacked bead necklaces. Thick armbands, detailed in low relief, ornament her upper limbs, while her body is enhanced with subtle symbolic detailing – most notably a stippled pattern across both shoulders, likely representing scarification marks associated with ritual initiation or high status. Size: 6.3″ L x 7.5″ W x 13.5″ H (16 cm x 19 cm x 34.3 cm)

Her stylized face bears Nayarit’s distinctive mask-like features: narrow slit eyes, a long triangular nose, and an open rectangular mouth. The expression is enigmatic – at once human and transcendent. Her hands rest gently atop her abdomen in a gesture suggestive of fecundity and sacred life-force, a posture that may reference fertility or maternal power. The surface is finished in a warm red slip, worn to earthen tones with areas of darkened pigment from burial or ritual exposure. A rounded opening at the top of the head indicates the vessel may once have functioned in a funerary or ritual context, possibly as a container or spirit effigy.

This figure belongs to the broader corpus of Nayarit ceramic tradition, notable for its expressive modeling and portrayal of social roles, gendered identity, and ceremonial life. Figures like this one were often placed in shaft tombs alongside the deceased, serving as spiritual companions or as avatars of community life beyond death.

Condition: Head has been repaired with chipping along visible break lines and loss to top and verso. Body professionally repaired with restoration and repainting over break lines; all done very well and difficult to notice. Light surface wear with nicks and fire-darkening in areas. Otherwise, very nice presentation with light earthen deposits throughout.

Provenance: private Lexington, Kentucky, USA collection; ex-Central Park West estate, New York, New York, USA, January 21, 2024, acquired prior to 1980

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