Pre-Columbian, Mexico, Guerrero region, Xalitla culture, ca. 1200 to 900 BCE. A hand-built pottery male figure standing atop delineated legs adorned with ankle cuffs. The man presents nude save for a simple waistband and loincloth and has a broad chest, pointed shoulders, and sinuous arms, one of which grasps a petite rattle or mace head. The serene countenance is composed of wide, almond-shaped eyes, a slender triangular nose, full lips, tall ears accentuated with discoid ear spools, and a smooth forehead, all beneath a finely incised coiffure that drapes to the nape of his neck. Traces of pale orange and red-orange pigment are still visible across the composition and suggest that the figure was at one time painted with vivid colors. A wonderful example of early Xalitla figurative artistry! Size: 1.6" W x 4.1" H (4.1 cm x 10.4 cm); 4.3" H (10.9 cm) on included custom stand.
Provenance: private Hawaii, USA collection; ex-Michael Haskell collection, California, USA before 2000
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#148249
Condition
Repaired from multiple large pieces, with light resurfacing and overpainting along break lines. Minor abrasions to limbs, body, and head, with fading to original pigmentation, and light encrustations. Nice earthen deposits and great traces of original pigment throughout.