Mexico, Nayarit, Chinesco Type B
200 BC–300 AD
Ceramic
Height: 10½ in (26.7 cm)
Provenance: Lucia Meza, Whittier, California, acquired 1960s; San Diego Trade
The Chinesco tradition of West Mexico is subdivided into several recognized types, of which Type B is distinguished by its distinctive heart-shaped or rounded head form, smooth facial modeling, and an interior calm that sets it apart from the more animated Jalisco and Colima traditions produced in the same region and period. Chinesco figures were placed in the shaft tombs of Nayarit as funerary companions, and Type B examples are among the most sculptural and formally resolved of the group. The combination of scale and facial refinement in this type has made it particularly sought after by collectors of ancient American art.
This figure displays the characteristic Type B heart-shaped head with a broad smooth face, downcast or closed eyes, and small ear ornaments, set on a full torso with geometric surface decoration in red and cream slip. The body is rendered with the compact authority typical of Chinesco production at this scale, and the slip decoration retains good coverage across the torso and shoulders. The 1960s Whittier provenance places this piece well within the pre-restriction collecting period for West Mexican material.
We ship free anywhere in the world, fully insured, packed by hand.
Mexico, Nayarit, Chinesco Type B
200 BC–300 AD
Ceramic
Height: 10½ in (26.7 cm)
Provenance: Lucia Meza, Whittier, California, acquired 1960s; San Diego Trade
The Chinesco tradition of West Mexico is subdivided into several recognized types, of which Type B is distinguished by its distinctive heart-shaped or rounded head form, smooth facial modeling, and an interior calm that sets it apart from the more animated Jalisco and Colima traditions produced in the same region and period. Chinesco figures were placed in the shaft tombs of Nayarit as funerary companions, and Type B examples are among the most sculptural and formally resolved of the group. The combination of scale and facial refinement in this type has made it particularly sought after by collectors of ancient American art.
This figure displays the characteristic Type B heart-shaped head with a broad smooth face, downcast or closed eyes, and small ear ornaments, set on a full torso with geometric surface decoration in red and cream slip. The body is rendered with the compact authority typical of Chinesco production at this scale, and the slip decoration retains good coverage across the torso and shoulders. The 1960s Whittier provenance places this piece well within the pre-restriction collecting period for West Mexican material.
We ship free anywhere in the world, fully insured, packed by hand.
