Pre-Columbian, West Mexico, Michoacan, ca. 550 to 100 BCE. A fabulous hand-built terracotta standing pretty lady figure with two heads. Displayed in a creamy white kaolin slip, this figure stands atop tubular legs and stylized toes just below a rotund abdomen indicative of pregnancy. The mutual torso shares two attenuated arms, though each head is supported by its own respective neck. One head has lengthy locks of hair cascading down over her chest and covering her breasts, the other boasting an elaborate necklace hanging at a similar length. Each visage is comprised of prominent noses, slight parted mouths, puffy cheeks, incised diamond-shaped eyes, circular earspools detailed with red cinnabar, and broad foreheads, each embellished with a finely-detailed headband. A rare figural typology with impressive and imaginative stylization! Comes with museum-quality stand. Size: 3.5" H (8.9 cm); 3.8" H (9.7 cm) on included custom stand.

Two-headed pottery examples from the Michoacan culture are exceedingly rare compared to their single-headed counterparts. Some archaeologists have argued that these double-headed female examples represent some magical aspect of human nature – perhaps a shamanistic transformation of sorts – or metaphorical, such as the concept of duality in human behavior. However, other experts have posited convincing arguments that such examples actually depict a set of conjoined twins. The prevalence of two-headed female figures from this area and time period of Western Mexico could indicate an observable predisposition to conjoined twins amongst the Michoacan populace.

Provenance: private New York, New York, USA collection; ex-Albert J. and Monique Grant collection, New York, New York, USA, acquired in 1950s-60s, collection #1838

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#130869

Surface wear commensurate with age, small chips to legs and one hand, fading and wear to white slip and red cinnabar details, otherwise intact and excellent. Nice earthen deposits throughout. Old inventory stickers with "22" and "1838" adhered to verso.