Mexico, Totonac, Gulf Coast Veracruz
900–1519 AD
Red stone
Height: 9¾ in (24.8 cm), Width: 6½ in (16.5 cm)
Provenance: Romy Rey, London, UK, acquired 1960s; London Trade
The Totonac culture of the Gulf Coast of Veracruz was one of the major civilizations of Classic and Postclassic Mesoamerica, known for its monumental architecture at El Tajin and for a distinctive sculptural tradition in both ceramic and stone. Stone figures in the Totonac tradition are less common than ceramic work and reflect a higher investment of material and labor, typically associated with elite funerary or ceremonial contexts. The red volcanic stone used here is characteristic of certain Gulf Coast sculptural workshops and gives the object a strong visual presence distinct from the buff ceramic tradition more commonly associated with the region.
This figure is carved with a broad flat-topped head, schematic facial features, and a compact torso with arms indicated in low relief, following the frontal hieratic posture common to Totonac stone sculpture. The surface carries heavy weathering and encrustation consistent with burial context and age, and the stone retains its distinctive red-orange tone throughout. The 1960s London provenance through Romy Rey places this piece within an early British collecting context for Gulf Coast material.
We ship free anywhere in the world, fully insured, packed by hand.
Mexico, Totonac, Gulf Coast Veracruz
900–1519 AD
Red stone
Height: 9¾ in (24.8 cm), Width: 6½ in (16.5 cm)
Provenance: Romy Rey, London, UK, acquired 1960s; London Trade
The Totonac culture of the Gulf Coast of Veracruz was one of the major civilizations of Classic and Postclassic Mesoamerica, known for its monumental architecture at El Tajin and for a distinctive sculptural tradition in both ceramic and stone. Stone figures in the Totonac tradition are less common than ceramic work and reflect a higher investment of material and labor, typically associated with elite funerary or ceremonial contexts. The red volcanic stone used here is characteristic of certain Gulf Coast sculptural workshops and gives the object a strong visual presence distinct from the buff ceramic tradition more commonly associated with the region.
This figure is carved with a broad flat-topped head, schematic facial features, and a compact torso with arms indicated in low relief, following the frontal hieratic posture common to Totonac stone sculpture. The surface carries heavy weathering and encrustation consistent with burial context and age, and the stone retains its distinctive red-orange tone throughout. The 1960s London provenance through Romy Rey places this piece within an early British collecting context for Gulf Coast material.
We ship free anywhere in the world, fully insured, packed by hand.
