A Chinesco Kneeling Female...

Description

A Chinesco Kneeling Female
Nayarit, West Mexico, c. 250 BC - 250 AD

Ceramic buffware with burnished cream slip and red paint. This kneeling female figure belongs to the Chinesco style of Nayarit, known for its fluid curves, broad forms, and large, rounded or triangular heads with serene expressions. Her exceptionally long, finely striated hair flows down the back, while red paint marks armbands, body decoration, and a cord belt from which hangs a small cache-sexe. Red hand motifs appear on the face (subtle), shoulders, and back-designs found on other Chinesco figures, suggesting a shared workshop tradition. The figure's small arms rest on her abdomen, contrasting with the massive, curving thighs and upright posture. The overall effect is one of calm dignity and abstraction, qualities that distinguish the finest Chinesco works.

Identified as Type C, this sub-style is associated with burials from the San Pedro Lagunillas area in southwestern Nayarit. In excellent structural condition with no apparent repairs or restorations; the surface shows mottling and irregularities from long burial, humidity, and mineral deposits.

Exquisitely modeled and carefully painted, the figure exemplifies the artistic refinement and symbolic presence of West Mexican shaft-tomb sculpture.

Provenance:
Acquired by the current collection in 1989
Merrin Gallery, New York, NY
Andy and Von Long, Denver, CO, active from the 1960s to the 1980s

Height: 8 ¾ inches

Estimate: $12,000 - $18,000.

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