Lot 29
  • 29

large Veracruz standing figure, Gulf Coast, Late Classic/Early Postclassic, ca. A.D. 500-1200

Estimate
80,000 - 120,000 USD
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Description

  • stone
  • Height: 47 in. (119.3 cm)
 the monumental figure possibly representing a ruler after death, shown in ceremonial attire associated with authority, the stoic posture with eyes lowered to a crescent slit, relaxed mouth, a bracket nose ornament and bead adornments above, wearing a flat collar with applied beads and a massive looped rope collar high under the neck, the wrists with spiked bracelets, and with a modest loincloth and headband centering a medallion.  

Provenance

William P. Palmer Collection
Donna Jacobs Gallery, acquired from the above in 1986
American private collection, acquired from the above in 1987
By descent in the family

 

 

Exhibited

New York, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Before Cortes, Sculpture of Middle America, September 30, 1970-January 3, 1971

Literature

Hasso von Winning, Pre-Columbian Art of Mexico and Central America, Abrams, 1968, Figs. 255, 256
Elizabeth Kennedy Easby, John F. Scott, Before Cortes, Sculpture of Middle America, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1970, Fig. 261

Condition

Various breaks and repairs overall, as shown clearly in photos in Before Cortes and von Winning. An Oxford Authentication TL report no. N113d39 is on file, confirming the date of last firing was between 1000 and 1600 years ago.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Catalogue Note

The dramatic large scale figures from the Gulf Coast attest to a masterful ceramic tradition unlike other regions of Mesoamerica. Life-size figures are known from the Mixtequilla-Tuxtla region including the well known ceremonial figures of El Zapotal, akin to the impressive Xi'an ceramics from ancient China (Wyllie 2010). The figures reflect a technological sophistication- the building of the figures inner structure, firing techniques, applied ornamentation, but also show the importance of life-size figures to memorialize  rulers and illustrate the narratives of a pantheon of deity figures.
Two significant attributes of this figure are the bracket nose ornament and the rope collar. The nose ornament is an abbreviated form of the buccal mask associated with authority. This form harkens back to imagery of Olmec supernaturals; it is seen on figures from Cerro de las Mesas stelae 5 and 8 (Wyllie 2008: 229, figs. 4 and 5),  the colossal stone head- Monument 2 from Cerro de las Mesas (Berrin and Fields 2010:234-235); and on various fine paste relief-decorated bowls from Rio Blanco  showing deity impersonator figures (von Winning 1971:34-35).
The prominent and elaborate rope collar may symbolize the figure as deceased, the rope being a symbol of the ultimate surrender of one's life.