Pre-Columbian, Mexico to Guatemala, Olmec culture, ca. 10th to 6th century BCE. A dramatic pottery figure of a woman seated with legs akimbo while clutching her breast in an affectionate manner. Her neck is adorned by a wide necklace executed in a series of ovoid-form incisions. Her face is the most intriguing feature – complete with a slight life-like nose, slit-form eyes, and pouted lips. She is accessorized in a pair of bracelets and a fanciful hat. Size: 2.9" L x 2.25" W x 4.5" H (7.4 cm x 5.7 cm x 11.4 cm); 5" H (12.7 cm) on included custom stand.

The Olmec are famous for their human depictions; as the first major civilization in this fertile area, their artwork inspired the civilizations that came after them to the point that we think some of them even revered Olmec artwork and kept it as heirlooms. Figures of this style are known as "baby face", with plump bodies and chubby, pouty facial features. Infants are a recurring theme from Olmec art, and this one would likely have once been white-slipped to match other known examples. The shape of their heads - like this one - have been attributed to deliberate skull shaping.

Provenance: private Goldman Family collection, San Francisco, California, USA, acquired in 2001; ex-DeRoche Gallery, San Francisco, California, USA, 1990s

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#164707

Partial loss to bottom lip portion. Surface wear commensurate with age. Nice earthen deposits within crevices. Softening of facial details. Otherwise, excellent condition.