STATUE ANTHROPOMORPHE ASSISE CULTURE NAYARIT, STYLE LAGUNILLAS TYPE EPROTOCLASSIQUE, 100 AV. J.-C. - 250 AP. J.-C. |

Collection privée, États-Unis, acquis en 1972
Sotheby's, New York, 9 mai 2006, n° 170
Importante Collection privée française

Very good condition overall. Very good preservation of the pigments. Some repairs on the legs and areas of the back of the head and forehead. Surface have been cleaned. Wear consistent with age and use within the culture.
"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. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Les statues "Chinesco" - ainsi fréquemment nommées pour leur supposée analogie stylistique avec l'art oriental - originaires de la région de Lagunillas (au Sud des Nayarit), comptent parmi les statues funéraires les plus évocatrices de l’Ouest mexicain. Agenouillé, les bras recourbés sous l’ample poitrine, le personnage féminin nous apparaît dans une transe profonde, d'une intense sérénité. Son iconographie évoque le « rituel de la nudité » qui, selon Townsend, constituait pour les jeunes femmes un rite initiatique (Townsend, Ancient West Mexico, 1998, p. 122). La typologie des statues Nayarit distingue cinq sous-ensembles (A-E) et cette statue féminine relève du type E. Elle est sobrement décorée de peinture rouge et arbore une « main rouge » sur la poitrine, la joue et l'omoplate, ainsi qu’une délicate ceinture perlée soulignant la taille. La teinte crème subsistante qui souligne les cuisses indique la présence d’un pagne. Les traits du visage triangulaire sont moins prononcés que sur les autres styles et mettent en valeur les yeux gonflés, fendus, subtilement accentués par un masque noir. Elle est parée d’une perle nasale et d’une coiffure striée de fines lignes. Les traits de cette œuvre sont caractéristiques du style et intrinsèquement différents des autres types Nayarit, suggérant que les statues de type E ont pu être ouvragées par des ateliers individuels.

Pour des statues comparables, voir Townsend, idem, p. 284, n° 214 et 215, et Sotheby’s, New York, 7 mai 2016, n° 135.

"Chinesco" figures, as they are often designated, originating from the southern Nayarit region of Lagunillas, are some of the most evocative West Mexican funerary figures. Seated in a kneeling position with her arms underneath her wide-set breasts, she is in a deep trance, bearing a gentle but intense demeanor. Townsend refers to the 'ritual of nudity' as part of the young females' rite of passage (Townsend, Ancient West Mexico, 1998, p. 122).

There are five varieties of this Nayarit style; this female is typical of Type E. She is decorated sparingly with red paint and bears a ‘red hand’ on her breast, cheek and back shoulder, and wears a delicate beaded belt around her waist. A resist cream color demarcates her thighs, indicating the presence of a loincloth. The features on her slightly triangular face are less flat than other styles and exhibit puffy, slit eyes. A black mask lightly highlights the area around the eyes and she wears a small nose bead and has pierced ears. Thin, incised lines demarcate this figure’s coiffure.  The distinctive traits representative of this type of figure are internally consistent and significantly different from other Nayarit types, perhaps indicating that they were manufactured at individual workshops.

For similar figures, see Townsend, ibid.,p. 284, no. 214 and 215; see also Sotheby’s, New York, May 7, 2016, lot 135.