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Seated Female Figurine
Nayarit (Lagunillas Type B)
Proto-Classic Period
100 B.C.–A.D. 250
Object Place: southern Nayarit, Mexico
Medium/Technique
Earthenware: cream on dark red slip paint, negative resist painting, gold alloy
Dimensions
27.3 x 16.6 x 16.4 cm (10 3/4 x 6 9/16 x 6 7/16 in.)
Credit Line
Gift of Adrienne B. Torf in memory of Michael K. Torf
Accession Number2021.750
CollectionsAmericas
ClassificationsCeramics – Pottery – Earthenware
DescriptionThe Lagunillas sculptural style of West Mexico, formerly called Chinesco (Spanish for "Chinese-like") and comprising five separate sub-styles (A-E), is characterized by serene representations of women often with closed eyes, delicate facial features, and introspective demeanors suggesting a meditative state. Many draw attention to the feminine powers of precreation by focusing attention on the abdomen. This Lagunillas Type B figure rests her arms across the abdomen to draw attention to her womb. Her hips are wrapped in a wide cloth with polka dot pattern, and her upper torso is decorated with black body painting. Jewelry includes a gold earring in her pierced left ear (perhaps a modern addition), a necklace of three small beads rendered in cream slip paint, and a wide nose band modeled in clay.
ProvenanceProbably 1949, acquired in Mexico by Lois B. Torf (b. 1926 – d. 2020), Weston, MA [see note]; 2020, by inheritance to her daughter, Adrienne B. Torf, Weston; 2021, gift of Adrienne B. Torf to the MFA. (Accession Date: December 15, 2021)
NOTE: When the sculpture was first placed on loan to the MFA in 2002, Mrs. Torf recalled acquiring the figure on her honeymoon in 1949. She made subsequent trips to Mexico during the 1950s, 1960s, and early 1970s.
NOTE: When the sculpture was first placed on loan to the MFA in 2002, Mrs. Torf recalled acquiring the figure on her honeymoon in 1949. She made subsequent trips to Mexico during the 1950s, 1960s, and early 1970s.