- 42
Olmec Seated Figure, Tlapacoya Early Preclassic, ca. 1200-900 B.C.
Estimate
12,000 - 18,000 USD
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Description
- clay
- Height: 6 1/4 in (15.8 cm)
seated in a relaxed posture with both arms loosely resting on the cross legs (the left foreleg missing), with strong sloping shoulders and upper arms, the face with trance-like expression of slit eyes and parted lips, with elongated forehead.
Provenance
D. Daniel Michel Collection, Chicago, acquired by 1962
Exhibited
Montreal, Man Eaters and Pretty Ladies: Early Art in Central Mexico, from the Gulf to the Pacific - 1500 B.C. - 500 A.D., Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, January 15-March 8, 1971, catalogue to the exhibition by Leo Rosshandler, fig. 194, illus.
Condition
Please note PL foreleg missing as shown, has been repaired at the neck and PR shoulder.
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.
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
This figure captures the demure and meditative form that distinguishes the Olmec figurines found in Tlapacoya and Las Bocas. Their relaxed yet muscular bodies portray an inward and reverent character relative to priestly status. The figures lack ornamentation, with incised details defining the face and body; many have a gray-slipped, unburnished surface such as this figure.
The cross-legged figures echo some of the large Olmec stone figures from the Coastal heartland seen in San Lorenzo and La Venta, as Coe noted (Bradley and Joralemon 1993:21). The refined small figures are another example of how important Preclassic icons were expressed and interpreted in the Central Mexican Highlands. For this Olmec figural type from Tlapacoya, see Coe (1965: fig. 190); see also the larger Olmec hollow 'baby' from Tlapacoya, Benson and de la Fuente (1996: cat. no. 21).
The cross-legged figures echo some of the large Olmec stone figures from the Coastal heartland seen in San Lorenzo and La Venta, as Coe noted (Bradley and Joralemon 1993:21). The refined small figures are another example of how important Preclassic icons were expressed and interpreted in the Central Mexican Highlands. For this Olmec figural type from Tlapacoya, see Coe (1965: fig. 190); see also the larger Olmec hollow 'baby' from Tlapacoya, Benson and de la Fuente (1996: cat. no. 21).