 Nayarit, Mexico Seated Male and Female Figures, c. 2nd century BC – 2nd century hand-built ceramic, pigments Purchase, 1975 (4290.1) Male and female figure pairs are common subjects in the ceramics of the ancient
peoples named for the neighboring modern Mexican states Nayarit, Colima, and
Jalisco, in which the works have been discovered in deeply-buried shaft tombs. The
sculptures show aspects of daily and ritual life, and while subject matter was relatively
consistent throughout the entire region, style distinctions are present. The figures here
represent Nayarit's Ixtlán del Río style, named for the municipality in the southwest of
the Nayarit State in which they have been found. They are characterized by highlystylized
facial features on oversized heads, large feet, and thin, pliant arms. Physical
gender differences can be discerned, but sexes are mainly distinguished by clothing
and the objects held. Both men and women wear numerous rings on ears and nose.
Textile patterns and possibly skin tattoos, were delineated by applications of colored
slips or pigments. |