The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of May 5, 2024

Female Figurine

Female Figurine

c. 400–100 BCE
earthenware with pigment
Overall: 7.5 x 3.5 x 1.2 cm (2 15/16 x 1 3/8 x 1/2 in.)
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. James C. Gruener 1990.142
Location: not on view

Did You Know?

This figurine is small enough to fit comfortably in the palm of your hand.

Description

Small, solid, hand-modeled figurines were a staple of the early Mesoamerican artistic repertoire. Made in distinctive styles corresponding to geographic regions, they likely were used in a variety of contexts, including rites to assure health, fertility, and prosperity. This example is from the Chupícuaro region, north of modern-day Mexico City.
  • ?-1961
    (Antique shop in Los Angeles, sold to James C. and Florence C. Gruenef)
    1961-1990
    James C. [1903-1990] and Florence C. [1908-1982] Gruener, Cleveland, OH, bequest to the Cleveland Museum of Art
    1990-
    The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
  • Young-Sánchez, Margaret. "The Gruener Collection of Pre-Columbian Art." The Bulletin of the Cleveland Museum of Art 79, no. 7 (1992): 234-75. Referenced: cat. no. 11, p. 267, Reproduced: fig. 11, p. 242. www.jstor.org
  • The Gruener Collection of Pre-Columbian Art. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (February 4-November 29, 1992).
  • {{cite web|title=Female Figurine|url=false|author=|year=c. 400–100 BCE|access-date=05 May 2024|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1990.142