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Source Description
Solid, hand-modeled figurines of diminutive size yet remarkable detail and expressiveness represent the Xochipala style, a distinctive artistic tradition found in the highlands of Guerrero in western Mexico. The seated figure's lack of adornment and the marked figural naturalism are characteristic of early works from this period. The seated male figure holds a long bar, perhaps a scepter denoting political status. Large tufts adorn the tops of his feet, and his loins are wrapped in a red-painted cloth, the only surviving vestige of the region's textile arts. Slashes on the shoulders likely represent body paint, tattoos, or intentional scarring, a type of body adornment seen on many later ceramic figural sculptures from western Mexico.
Scholar Source Context
Document identity
localId
80409
label
Seated Male Figure
core
obj
dtoType
sculpture
citationUrl
pageCount
4
Source metadata
id
80409
contentType
sculpture
stage
normalized
title
Seated Male Figure
description
Solid, hand-modeled figurines of diminutive size yet remarkable detail and expressiveness represent the Xochipala style, a distinctive artistic tradition found in the highlands of Guerrero in western Mexico. The seated figure's lack of adornment and the marked figural naturalism are characteristic of early works from this period. The seated male figure holds a long bar, perhaps a scepter denoting political status. Large tufts adorn the tops of his feet, and his loins are wrapped in a red-painted cloth, the only surviving vestige of the region's textile arts. Slashes on the shoulders likely represent body paint, tattoos, or intentional scarring, a type of body adornment seen on many later ceramic figural sculptures from western Mexico.
provenance
Throckmorton Fine Art, New York [date and mode of acquisition unknown]; John G. Bourne, August 31, 1998, by purchase; by bequest to Walters Art Museum, 2017.
date
1200-900 BC (Early Formative)
citationUrl
rightsUri
CC0
language
en
genreSpecific
Sculpture
figures
imageCount
4
pageCount
4
source
import
dimensions
units
cm
width
8
height
5.9
depth
6.8
dimensionsRaw
H: 3 1/8 x W: 2 5/16 x D: 2 11/16 in. (8 x 5.9 x 6.8 cm)
style
Xochipala
Source extras
cul
Xochipala Style
med
earthenware, post-fire paint/pigment (red, white, and black), incising
creator_ids
15517
collection_ids
AME
exhibition_ids
none
Page inventory
seq
1
type
photo
mediaId
7add8357f5a1cf91
hasOcr
no
hasDescription
no
seq
2
type
photo
mediaId
499d20837b9edb3f
hasOcr
no
hasDescription
no
seq
3
type
photo
mediaId
0f59391a0e6d826d
hasOcr
no
hasDescription
no
seq
4
type
photo
mediaId
f794c23e81d2f446
hasOcr
no
hasDescription
no