Master Art

Standing Woman - CHINESCO - Mexico - 100 B.C – 250 A.D - Pre-Columbian

Height: 27.5 cm

Width: 16.4 cm

Depth : 17 cm

Brown hollow terracotta with brown slip and beige decorations

Documents (originals) provided to the acquirer:

- Certificate of authenticity of the Galerie Mermoz,

Santo Micali, Expert, (CNE) Compagnie Nationale des Experts

- Certificate of Art Loss Register

- Passport of free circulation

- Thermoluminescence report

- Invoice

This woman is sitting on the floor. She is simply wearing a white polka dot bra. The long legs, disproportionate to the rest of the body, are spread out. The toes are marked by nicks. The thighs are wide and the buttocks delicately shaped. The back is straight and the shoulders are narrow. The arms are very thin and placed along the body. The forearms rest horizontally on the belly. The hands are not represented. The breasts are pointed. The head has finely drawn features. The mouth is small. The long, aquiline nose has a nasal ring. The almond-shaped eyes are slightly hollowed out. The ears are small and prominent. The elongated skull, due to a ritual deformation, is adorned with a discreet cap. Points of ritual paint adorn the bust of this woman.

This character is a very good example of the Chinesco terracotta figurines. The harmony of forms and balance of proportions combine with the serene and spontaneous attitude of the character to give him a remarkable expressive power. Moreover, its quality of execution and its state of preservation further highlight its beautiful aesthetic.

The term Chinesco refers to a style attached to the Nayarit culture. The latter develops in the region corresponding to the present state of the same name, along the Pacific Coast of Mexico, between 300 av. and 500 apr. J.-C. Chinesco pottery is particularly associated with a specific territory, in the southwest of Nayarit, around the villages of Las Cebollas and Santiago Compostella. Its name, which means “Chinese” in Spanish, was first used by merchants who, discovering these figures for the first time, saw in them a certain resemblance – fortuitously – with traits peculiar to Chinese art. From a stylistic point of view, Chinesco figurines are characterized by a very elongated trunk, tubular limbs and a triangular or rectangular face with thin, tapered eyes. They are also distinguished by their serenity and expressive strength.