Two Pre - Columbian Nayarit Figures, A Female And A " Smoker ", Protoclassic Mexico
Item History & Price
| Reference Number: Avaluer:61030 | Material: Ceramic sculpture |
| Ancient West Mexico: Protoclassic, 100 B.C.- A.D. 250. | Provenance: Ownership History Available |
Two Pre-Columbian Nayarit Figures, an Ixtlan del Rio Standing Female & a San Sebastian Style Seated Figure, Protoclassic ca. 100 B.C. to A.D. 250.
These solid Nayarit seated and standing figures of both Ixtlan del Rio and San Sebastian Nayarit, types, , date to the Protoclassic Period of the West Mexican sculptural tradition, ca. 100 B.C. to A.D. 250. This female figure with wide headband and large ear-spools, and thick over-sized nose-ring rests both hands o...n her stomach, above a long hollow skirt. She has a highly burnished red slip, and has wonderful surface inclusions of manganese oxide overall.The seated figure has the typically broad forehead with a helmet like coiffure above stylized features: deeply incised eyes, multiple earrings, and right hand held to the mouth, usually known among collectors as “smokers”. The left hand rests upon the tip of his left foot. The burnished light reddish-brown slip contrasts with the unslipped top of the head covering, an abstract, yet symmetrically bulbous formation of the head and the conically-shaped legs. Ancient deposits of manganese oxide and dendritic inclusions are visible in various locations over this expressive object. FSA:EA
Comparisons: Please see: "Sculpture of Ancient West Mexico, Nayarit, Jalisco, Colima: The Proctor Stafford Collection", by M. Kan, C. Meighan, & H.B. Nicholson, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, 1989, for related examples of figures of this type in the Nayarit Section. Provenance: This figure was de-acquisitioned from the La Jolla, California David & Ursula Fairchild Collection of Pre-Columbian Art. This collection was formed during the 1960s-’70s. This object was purchased from M.C. Cole, Val Verde in Donna or Mc Allen, Texas in 1972. This figure was formally appraised by Stendahl Gallery, Hollywood, California in 1982. A copy of the appraisal page of the object will also be available to purchaser.Our low overhead allows us to offer quality objects at well below market prices. Every object is sold with an unconditional guarantee of authenticity, which never expires. This figure may be viewed by appointment in the Los Angeles or South Orange County area.
Height: Female: Approx. 6.5 in. ( 16.5 cm.); Height: “Smoker”: 6.2 in. (15.8 cm.).
Condition: Both of these interesting figurines are unbroken and in mint condition.
About Anthropos Fine Art
Founded in 1976 in the Los Angeles area as the Anthropos Gallery, specializing in Ancient and Tribal sculpture from the Old as well as the New World: Egyptian, Mediterranean, Pre-Columbian, and North American Indian and Eskimo Art, we are now exhibiting at the brick and mortar location of 860 Glenneyre Street, Suite 2, in Laguna Beach, California 92651. Appointments are always best for specific viewings.
Our primary focus is on the art of the western coastal regions of North America: the ancient sculpture of West Mexico, the antique art of the Pacific Northwest Coast, the art of the early California cultures, and the related Art of the Southwest. We also feature selected Egyptian and Mediterranean antiquities from our collection. We are members of ATADA (Antique Tribal Art Dealers Association), based in Santa Fe, NM, and L.A. Tribal (Los Angeles, CA) and are committed to scholarship and the highest ethical standards. We are always seeking quality works of art.
