Ancient Sculptures

Various sculptural figures resembling ancient ancestral representations, made from materials like stone and terracotta.

Lawolo' a masculine protective statue, used to scare an enemy from Nias, Indonesia. 19th century calcified stone

AncestorFigure

Lawolo' a masculine protective statue, used to scare an enemy from Nias, Indonesia. 19th century calcified stone

Terracotta statuette of idol with sickle, from Szegvar-Tuzkoves

Dwarf. China. Date: 618 AD-906 AD. Dimensions: . Earthenware. Origin: China. Museum: The Chicago Art Institute, Chicago, USA.

Figure of woman with child. Painted ceramics. Veracruz. Late Classic Period (700-900 AD). Mexico, Gulf Coast. Museum of The Americas. Madrid, Spain.

Ancestor Figure (tiki). Marquesas Islands, circa 1800. Sculpture. Basalt

Seated Male Figure

Amulet - PTAH -KAW (Pataikos); VII-IV century BC ; Half period (-700-00-00--301-00-00);PTAH-KARZEŁ (MITOL.), Society for the encouragement of Fine Arts (Warsaw-1860-1940)-collection, Tyszkiewicz, Michał (1828-1897), Tyszkiewicz, Michał (1828-1897)-collections, gift (provenance)

Female Figure. Tonga, circa 1850. Sculpture. Sperm whale ivory

Figure of a dwarf ca. 1850-1750 B.C. Middle Kingdom. Figure of a dwarf. ca. 1850-1750 B.C. . Blue faience. Middle Kingdom. From Egypt, Memphite Region, Lisht North, cemetery south of pyramid south of houses, Pit 964, MMA excavations, 1921-22. Dynasty 12, late-early 13

Male Seated Figure, 100 BC-AD 300. Mexico, Nayarit, 1st century BC-4th century AD. Ceramic; average: 56 x 31.8 x 30.5 cm (22 1/16 x 12 1/2 x 12 in.).

Figure 7th-10th century Veracruz The modern state of Veracruz lies along the Mexican Gulf Coast, north of the Maya lowlands and east of the highlands of central Mexico. Culturally diverse and environmentally rich, the people of Veracruz took part in dynamic interchanges between the three regions that over the centuries included trade, warfare, and migration. During the middle centuries of the first millennium, the artistically gifted Veracruzanos created particularly inventive ceramic sculpture in diverse yet related styles. Each of these three standing figures is unique, but they share many details: the curled hair (or hats with curls) with traces of white coloring, the barlike chest ornaments, the projecting ear ornaments, and the elaborate belts or loincloths. The wide mouths are open to show off sparkling teeth that have been blackened with hematite crystals, which are rare on Veracruz ceramic figures. The black pupils of the wide eyes, on the other hand, are a resinous material ca

Female Figurine 500 BCE-300 BCE Guanajuato state. Ceramic and pigment . Chupícuaro

Figurine ca. 1879 Hopi. Figurine. Hopi. ca. 1879. Ceramic, pigment. United States, Arizona. Ceramics-Sculpture

Anubis 664-30 B.C. Late Period-Ptolemaic Period. Anubis. 664-30 B.C.. Cupreous metal. Late Period-Ptolemaic Period. From Egypt

Mother Goddess. India, Uttar Pradesh, 4th century. Sculpture. Reddish brown terracotta

Standing Male Figure 1300-1470 Chimú The dry conditions of Perus coastal desert allows for the preservation of organic materials such as wood and cloth—materials that in most other parts of the Americas would not have survived centuries exposed to the elements or buried in the ground. This standing male figure, now missing its lower legs, wears a flat-topped conical headdress and large round ear ornaments. Below a strong browline are oval-shaped eyes, a prominent nose, a small oval-shaped mouth, and lines indicating nasolabial folds. He wears a wide loincloth and holds a tall, cylindrical object between his hands. Its tapered shape suggests that it represents a type of beaker known from Perus North Coast (see, for example, MMA 1978.412.183, .185).* Particularly ornate versions of these tall vessels, made of silver and gold, have been found at Chan Chan, capital of the Chimú kingdom (Pillsbury, Potts, and Richter, 2017:cat. 72; Ríos and Retamozo 1982). These drinking vessels would hav

Seated Model Sailor, c. 2000-1000 BC. Egypt, Middle Kingdom, late Dynasty 11 (2040-1980 BC) to early Dynasty 12 (1980-1951 BC). Painted sycamore fig; average: 11 cm (4 5/16 in.).

Female Seated Figure, 100 BC - 300 AD. Mexico, Nayarit, 1st century BC-4th century AD. Ceramic; average: 52.3 x 30.5 x 29.5 cm (20 9/16 x 12 x 11 5/8 in.).

Seated Figure Vessel 9th-15th century Capulí Tall, seated figure vessels of this type have been found in deep Andean shaft and chamber tombs on both sides of the Colombia/Ecuador border. The figure's barrel-shaped erect body, lacking elaboration of anatomical detail, forms the container. The vessel opening is at the top of the head. Closely cropped hair frames the small face. The slight tilt of the head conveys a sense of animation, while the modeled half-open eyes and mouth suggest serenity. The figure's legs, worked in deep relief, are pulled up against the body and the projecting feet have no indication of toes. The spindling armsthe elbows resting on the knees and the hands held on the chestare modeled three-dimensionally, the upper arms, perhaps, having served as handles. The burnished surface of the face and body is decorated with black-on-red resist patterns of crosshatching, concentric diamonds, and stepped frets.. Seated Figure Vessel. Capulí. 9th-15th century. Ceramic. Ecua

Seated Figure

Standing Figure

Seatedfigurine. Artist: Unknown

Pre-Columbian art. Pre-Incan. Tumaco-Tolita culture. Region of the Pacific Colombo-Ecuadorian coast from 300BC-600 AD. Ceramic object. Female figure with polychrome remains. 25 x cm (diameter) x 3,5 cm. From Ecuador. Private collection.

Candlestick depicting a wet-nurse with a baby, glazed terracotta, China. Chinese Civilisation, Eastern Han Dynasty, 1st-3rd century.

Pre-Columbian artifacts and art in the Larco Museum, Lima, Peru, South America

Statuette (usual name), 1400. Covered sandstone. Cernuschi Museum, Asia Museum of Asia in the city of Paris.

Mississippian Figure. Culture: Mississippian. Dimensions: H. 26 1/2 x W. 14 x D. 10 3/4 in. (67.3 x 35.6 x 27.3 cm)Weight: 93 lbs.. Date: 13th-14th century.This ancestral figure was one of a male-female pair when discovered in 1895 on the banks of the Duck River in Humphreys County, Tennessee. Such figures played important roles among the more complex Mississippian societies of the Southeast during later precolonial times, when they were the focus of ancestor cults. The figures, primarily but not exclusively male, were placed and venerated in shrine houses together with the bones of significant ancestors. The figures are known today primarily in durable stone, although examples in wood exist. They are depicted seated and are very compactly--indeed weightily--made, as illustrated by the current example. The jutting chin and well-carved eyebrow ridge accord well with the angles and plains of torso, arms, and legs. The one raised knee distinguishes him as belonging to a special group of

Bouffon ". Terracotta. China, Tang dynasty. Paris, Cernuschi museum. 72691-32

Female Figure. Chupícuaro; Guanajuato or Michoacán, Mexico. Date: 500 BC-200 BC. Dimensions: H. 7.9 cm (3 1/8 in.). Ceramic and pigment. Origin: Mexico. Museum: The Chicago Art Institute, Chicago, USA.

Manly bust. Painted ceramics. Mayan culture. Jaina style. Late classic period (600-900 AD). Mesoamerica. Mayan region. Museum of the Americas. Madrid, Spain.

Standing Woman ca. 3100-2649 B.C. Early Dynastic Period. Standing Woman 547476

Standing Figurine. Olmec; Veracruz, Mexico. Date: 800 BC-400 BC. Dimensions: H. 30.2 cm (11 7/8 in.). Green hornfels and cinnabar. Origin: Mexico. Museum: The Chicago Art Institute, Chicago, USA.

Standing Ceramic Female Figure. Culture: Tlatilco. Dimensions: Height 6-7/8 in. (17.5 cm). Date: 12th-9th century B.C.. Museum: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA.

Bronze male figure ca. 1400-1200 B.C. or later Minoan Statuette of a male figure with long hair.. Bronze male figure 252410 Minoan, Bronze male figure, ca. 14001200 B.C. or later, Bronze, H.: 2 1/8 in. (5.4 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. Bequest of Richard B. Seager, 1926 (26.31.490)

Child god 664-30 B.C. Late Period-Ptolemaic Period The figure represents a child god in a seated/reclining position, wearing a cap and uraeus. The child god is distinguished from adult gods by a range of iconographic clues: his nudity, the finger raised to the mouth (a child-like gesture), and the thick sidelock on the right side of his head. Small details show the fine workmanship of the piece and hint at its original, even greater, beauty: the cap crown is stippled, either for decoration or the addition of gilding; the eyes are gilded, which lends some contrast and color to the face; the broad collar is articulated on the front and back with a counterpoise; and an amulet hangs beneath the broad collar on the chest. The amulet is another attribute common to child gods but not adult gods. Meanwhile, his slightly plump, well-fed belly hints at his ability to bring about prosperity and abundance. Child gods grew in popularity and cult from the Third Intermediate Period onwards, rivaling

Dutchman Holding a Drum. Tanaka Minkō (Japan, 1735-1816). Japan, late 18th-early 19th century. Costumes; Accessories. Wood with inlays

Female Figure 11th-16th century Michoacan (). Female Figure 313260

FemaleFigure

Female Figure 3rd century B.C.-A.D. 4th century Chupicuaro. Female Figure 313048

Terracotta plank-shaped figurine ca. 1900-1800 B.C. Cypriot A straight sided slab with rounded ends and details in low relief.A turban, now detached, was probably worn on the head, leaving a different coloration on the surface. Listen to experts illuminate this artwork's story Listen Play or pause #1102. Overview: Terracotta Figurines Supported by Bloomberg Philanthropies We're sorry, the transcript for this audio track is not available at this time. We are working to make it available as soon as possible.. Terracotta plank-shaped figurine 241093

Seated Figure 12th-9th century B.C. Olmec This seated figure likely represents an infant gazing upward and raising its right hand to its mouth. The artist of this baby worked in a fine, white clay to produce a hollow figure subsequently decorated with a white slip and red pigment. Without marked gender and seated with splayed legs and its hands on its thighs, the figure has the posture, body proportions, and fleshiness of a human baby, though symbolic designs embellishing its body and a distinctive headdress distinguish it from a mere mortal.This pudgy figure is one of the best examples of this class of human figures displaying characteristics of well-fed children, the so-called Olmec babies.” The body of the baby was careful modeled to indicate realistic folds of skin and subcutaneous fat, evoking themes of abundance and plentiful resources. The face displays non-mortal characteristics, such as the stylized eyes, downturned mouth, and squared ears. The left portion of the figure’s ba

Amulet of the God Pataikos 1070 BCE-656 BCE Egypt. Faience . Ancient Egyptian

Female Figure 500 BCE-400 BCE Valley of Mexico. Ceramic and pigment . Tlatilco

Seated Female Figure Holding a Bowl 100 CE-800 CE Western Mexico. Ceramic and pigment . Colima

Seated human figure (whistle). Painted ceramic. Mayan culture. Jaina style. Late classic period (600-900 AD). Mesoamerica. Mayan region. Museum of the Americas. Madrid, Spain.

(Oni with hatchet), 16th-17th century, Unknown Japanese, 8 1/2 x 5 1/2 in. (21.6 x 13.97 cm), Wood, Japan, 16th-17th century

Terracotta head of a youth early 5th century B.C. Greek, Sicilian or South Italian Head of a youth broken off from a large statuette.. Terracotta head of a youth 255197 Greek, Sicilian or South Italian, Terracotta head of a youth, early 5th century B.C., Terracotta, H. 3 1/2 in. (9 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. Rogers Fund, 1965 (65.11.16)

Female Figure 12th-9th century B.C. Tlatilco. Female Figure 317175

Flat Male Figure, 200 BC-AD 300. Mesoamerica, West Mexico, Colima. Ceramic, pigment; overall: 20 x 10.5 cm (7 7/8 x 4 1/8 in.). Clay figurines were the earliest and most common art form in Mexico and other countries in the ancient Mesoamerican (Middle American) culture region. Made first by hand and later with molds, most figurines belong to the traditions of commoners, such as farmers, rather than those of elites.

Terracotta head of a youth. Culture: Greek, Sicilian or South Italian. Dimensions: H. 3 1/2 in. (9 cm). Date: early 5th century B.C..Head of a youth broken off from a large statuette. Museum: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA.

Figure of a Seated Leader. Totonac, Remojadas; Veracruz, south-central Gulf Coast, Mexico. Date: 300 AD-600 AD. Dimensions: 78.7 × 75 cm (31 × 29.5 in.). Terracotta. Origin: Remojadas. Museum: The Chicago Art Institute, Chicago, USA.

Bembe-Fetischfigur Bembe fetish figure, Democratic Republic of the Congo, 19th century, carved wood, clay, glass, cloth, rope, and ritual patina, MEB, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain LicenseRF Copyright: xZoonar.com/Tolox 23171289

Statuette of Beset (Besis). Dimensions: H. 14.5 cm (5 11/16 in.); W. 5.3 cm (2 1/16 in.); D. 5 cm (1 15/16 in.). Date: 664-30 B.C..Beset, like her husband Bes, holds a bow-legged stance with hands on thighs and wears a feather crown. She has a less animal-like and less exaggerated face. Here she is nude, although she can be dressed.Beset is a much older figure, but becomes particularly popular in the Ptolemaic Period. She shares Bes's protective and apotropaic functions. Museum: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA.

Male Figure (Moai Tangata) Rapa Nui people early 19th century Of all Rapa Nui wood sculptures, the naturalistic male figures known as moai tangata, with their enlarged heads, frontal stance, and prominent stomachs, bear the closest formal resemblance to the island's well-known stone figures. Little is known about the nature and use of moai tangata, but they likely portray ancestors or other powerful supernatural beings. This example has a hole drilled through the neck, indicating that like other Rapa Nui figures, it may have been worn as a pendant during harvest festivals and other ceremonies.What appears to be the figure's hair consists of a group of three images depicting fish-like creatures with human heads and long flowing beards. These distinctive fish-men, virtually identical to examples that appear in Rapa Nui rock art, possibly represent spirits called nuihi, which combine the features of humans and sharks. View more Listen to experts illuminate this artwork's story #1720. Male

Maya era. Decorated vessel repreenting Tlaloc (Chaac). Guatemala/El Salvador. Museum of Cutures of the World. Barcelona. Spain.

Figure of a Charioteer. Culture: China. Dimensions: H. 7 5/8 in. (19.4 cm). Date: 4th-3rd century B.C..This figure is among the earliest Chinese representations of nomadic peoples on the northern frontier. Its identity is indicated by the short sword and belted jacket, a costume designed for an equestrian culture. The figure may have belonged to a larger assemblage. Judging from his posture and the position of his arms, it could have been a foot on the corner of a vessel or a lamp stand. Museum: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA.

Terracotta figurine of Kar A (comedy actor); Kon.III-II century BC (-300-00-00--100-00-00);

Hatmehyt 664-30 B.C. Late Period-Ptolemaic Period. Hatmehyt. 664-30 B.C.. Bronze or cupreous alloy. Late Period-Ptolemaic Period. From Egypt; Probably from Eastern Delta, Mendes (Tell el-Ruba)

Male Ancestor Figure(Itara)

Terracotta statuette of a woman with child. Culture: Cypriot. Dimensions: H. 4 1/16 in. (10.31 cm). Date: ca. 1900-1600 B.C..The seated mother with a cradle on her lap is a rare subject in White Painted Ware figurines. The figurine was originally attached to a large vase or a flat platform. Museum: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA.

Terracotta aryballos (perfume vase) in the form of a boy. Culture: East Greek. Dimensions: H. 7 1/16 in. (18 cm). Date: ca. 540-530 B.C..Vase in the form of a fat boy with his eyes shut, hands holding his belly. Museum: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA.

Ancient terracotta feline warrior head, from the Tiwanaku, the pre-Columbian archaeological site in western Bolivia. Dated 9th Century

Marionetka garbusa. unknown, author

Seated Male Ancestor Figure (AduZatua)

Owl-headed human figure, fired incised clay, ancient Syria, 2000BC.

Standing Figure 2nd century Jalisco. Standing Figure 313504

Statuette of Imhotep 664-30 B.C. Late Period-Ptolemaic Period Imhotep was adviser to King Djoser in the third dynasty and he is credited with the design of the Step Pyramid in Saqqara, the earliest pyramid in Egypt. For this and other achievements of wisdom and learning attributed to him, in later periods he became one of the only historical non-royal people to be divinized and to have a dedicated cult, which was particularly strong in the Memphite region. In copper alloy statuettes like this one, he is shown sitting, wearing his close-fitting cap and holding a scroll on his lap. An inscription on the scroll names him as Imhotep. In a symbolic sense, the scroll also serves to emphasize his wisdom and erudition, his role as a patron of scribes, and hints at the many intellectual forays into medicine, architecture, and engineering that were later ascribed to him. His attire varies, but in this instance he wears a broad collar that is articulated on the front and back of his chest and a s

Mayan ceramic figure playing with a ball, From Jaina, Campeche, Mexico 600-900AD

Isolated Easter Island Statue Easter Island - Rapa Nui Statue isolated on white background Copyright: xZoonar.com/JuergenxSchonnopx 1774716

Fabeldier with cold painting, anonymous, 618 - 960 China stoneware. earthenware. vitrification China stoneware. earthenware. vitrification

Limestone Bes late 6th-early 5th century B.C. Cypriot The figure preserves the body and upper part of the legs of a nude Bes. His body is shown in three-quarter view, with the left leg advancing forward and the right leg drawn backwards. The genitalia are broken. Both arms are missing. With his raised right arm he was probably brandishing a feather-sword (). A tenon on his chest supported the object held in one of the hands. He has a large head, a flat face, a grooved beard, a thick flat nose, a large mouth, a drawn out tongue and two small horns. His mass of hair is grooved and falls down his back and on his shoulders. The face and body are pink and the tongue red.. Limestone Bes 242162

Female Figure with Bold, Geometric Face and Body Paint 200 BCE-100 BCE Mexico. A rare work of art such as this female figurine, from a time and place far different from ours, may sometimes strike the eye in a way that brings to mind an almost familiar yet elusive sense of recognition as if an essential memory were already there, waiting to rise in the viewerís imagination. Our approach to such objects can seldom rely on ancient written records. We must begin by looking at the works themselves at their materials and modes of manufacture, and at shapes, colors, patterns, and symbols. Archaeological contexts can also offer vital information, and analogies may be drawn from the cultural records of later societies in which ancient customs and ways of perception have long persisted.This sculptural effigy belongs to the sophisticated ChupÌcuaro artistic tradition, which was more concerned with symbolic abstraction than naturalistic anatomical proportion. The female figure stands in a formal f

FIGURA MASCULINA QUE REPRESENTA A UN PERSONAJE RICAMENTE ENJOYADO - CERAMICA - CULTURA BAHIA (500 AC-500 DC) - ECUADOR - NUM INV 3724. Location: MUSEO DE AMERICA-COLECCION. MADRID. SPAIN.

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, Head of a Woman, 1913 Head of a Woman

Standing Female Figure

Costa Rica, San Jose, Pre-Columbian Gold Museum, Pre-columbian art

Pre-Columbian Wooden statue in Museo de Arte Precolombino, Cuzco, Peru

Warrior Figure. Culture: Moche (Loma Negra). Dimensions: Height 4-7/8 in. (12.5 cm). Date: 390-450. Museum: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA.

Spirit Figure. Papua New Guinea, East Sepik Province, Southern Abelam or Boiken People, circa 1925. Sculpture. Wood and pigment

Pataikos 664-30 B.C. Late Period-Ptolemaic Period. Pataikos. 664-30 B.C.. Green faience. Late Period-Ptolemaic Period. From Egypt

Italy, Emilia Romagna region, Reggio Emilia province, Scandiano, Female idol called ""Venus of Chiozza""

ESCULTURA EN MADERA. Author: LEANDRO MBOMIO (1938-). Location: PRIVATE COLLECTION. MADRID. SPAIN.

Seated Male Figure. Roman, 2nd century B.C.-A.D. 2nd century. Sculpture. Bronze, cast

Statuette of lion holding a Nubian captive. Dimensions: H. 8 cm (3 1/8 in.); W. 2.1 cm (13/16 in.); D. 3.5 cm (1 3/8 in.). Dynasty: Dynasty 12, late - Second Intermediate Period. Date: ca. 1850-1550 B.C..The arms of this Nubian boy are held freely at his sides with the palms turned outward in a gesture of voluntary submission. It is answered by the lion's attitude, more protective than menacing. Three holes in the top of the animal's head appear to have served to fix a lid over a cavity that still contains traces of organic fiber. The piece may have served as a container for a cosmetic substance imported from the south. Museum: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA.

Female Figure. Culture: Nayarit. Dimensions: H. 11 x W. 6 7/8 x D. 5 in. (27.9 x 17.4 x 12.7 cm). Date: 2nd-4th century. Museum: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA.

Figure from a Reliquary Ensemble: Seated Female 19th-early 20th century Fang peoples, Okak group The Fang peoples derive a sense of continuity with their past as well as a communal cohesiveness in the present through an ancestral cult known as bieri. Bieri reliquary figures, such as this 19th century example, embody the qualities that the Fang admire most in peoplenamely, tranquility, vitality, and the ability to hold opposites in balance. Such wooden figures and heads are placed on top of bark containers that hold the precious relics of important clan ancestors. The carved head or figure mounted on top of the reliquary box guards the sacred contents against the forbidden gaze of women and uninitiated boys. Before being removed from Africa, such works were invariably separated from the relic containers that they originally enhanced. This formidable female figure personifies controlled exuberance. Despite her contemplative expression, her being exudes vitality and boundless physical dy

Kneeling Female Figure. Culture: Aztec. Dimensions: Overall: 21 1/2 x 10 1/2 in. (54.61 x 26.67 cm)Other: 10 1/2 in. (26.67 cm). Date: 15th-early 16th century.Aztec sculptors used specific formal and aesthetic conventions to depict the human figure. Seated female figures are usually shown with their legs tucked under them, their feet turned inward so that in the back their toes are touching. Their hands rest on their knees. This sculpture depicts an elegant Aztec lady wearing a short, simple skirt fastened around the waist with a knotted belt worked in low relief. She wears no upper garment. Circular ornaments bedeck her ears. Her hair is wound about her head in two strands and held at the top. Her face has delicate rounded contours and is gently animated. The eyes and mouth are shown as recessed ovals which once contained inlays. Sculptures of females without any deity attributes are rare in Aztec art. It is possible that this figure was dressed on specific days of the ritual calend

Female Figure (Moai Papa) Rapa Nui people 19th century The dramatically flattened bodies of Rapa Nui female figures (moai papa) contrast with their fully modeled heads. The word papa in the Rapa Nui language literally denotes a flat horizontal surface of volcanic rock, but it may also indirectly refer to Papa, the female personification of the earth in many Polynesian cultures. Although indisputably female, moai papa also display masculine features, including goatee beards and, typically, bald heads. The incorporation of male elements into the figures may indicate that the female deities or ancestors they likely represented were perceived as the equals of their male counterparts.The cavities in the cheek and right leg of the present work and wood plugs in other areas of its body indicate that it is likely an early example, made before large unblemished blocks of wood, once rare on the largely treeless island, became widely available through trade with Western vessels. View more. Female

Male Figure, 19th-20th century, 19 3/4 x 5 5/8 x 5 1/2 in. (50.17 x 14.29 x 13.97 cm) (including attached base), Wood, beads, stone, Côte d'Ivoire, 19th-20th century

Caryatid C. 1914 Limestone Amedeo Modiglini; Italian; 1884-1920

Head 1850-1899 Gabon. The neck of this head was once partially inserted into the lid of a cylindrical bark container holding selected skull and skeletal remains of an honored ancestor. Stored in the corner of a manís sleeping room, the sculpture and box protected the ancestorís bones and kept his power within reach of his descendants. The copper-alloy inserts in the eyes reflect light in the dark, and would have startled any intruder while adding to the headís aura.. Wood and copper . Fang

Female Figure, ca. 3500-3400 B.C.E. Clay, pigment. threequater left. Museum: BROOKLYN MUSEUM, NUEVA YORK, USA.

Female Figure 12th-9th century B.C. Tlatilco. Female Figure 317773

Female Figure. Culture: Tlatilco. Dimensions: H. 3 13/16 in. (9.7 cm). Date: 10th century B.C..This solid, hand-modeled ceramic figurine is buff in color with traces of red and white face paint. The breasts are depicted as small pellets and a naval is only slightly indicated. The wide hips, bulbous thighs, and large buttocks terminate in rudimentary appendages, as do the short, splayed arms. Incisions on the back of the head indicate a female coiffure, with a single braid extending down the back. Large earplugs and a thick coil necklace are the figure's only adornments. Sculpted some three millennia ago in the Valley of Mexico, this figurine belongs to a group of ceramic effigies known collectively as the Tlatilco "pretty ladies." Depicting females with large heads, small waists, and prominent hips, these handheld sculptures present a fairly standardized body type and are typically fired to red, buff, or brown tones. As the popular embodiments of an ideal feminine form, the Tlatilco

Statuette representing Harpokrates 332 BC-200 AD Ptolemaic Period-Roman Period The child god represented here with finger to mouth is Harpokrates. who wears a small Egyptian double crown. This Greco-Roman form of the god also wears a cloak attached to one shoulder, and holds a cornucopia. He leans on a tree trunk and has one foot on a small clump of land.The cornucopia has been noted to be particularly associated with gods connected to the Eleusinian mysteries, and here to mark a convergence of Egyptian myth and Eleusinian myth fostered by the Ptolemaic dynasty.. Statuette representing Harpokrates 546198

Cippus (magical stela) where Pataikos replaces Horus on the crocodiles and is flanked by Isis and Nephthys. Dimensions: H 7.7 cm (3 1/16 in); w. 5.5 cm (2 3/16 in); d. 2.5 (1 in). Date: ca. 1070-525 BC.On most cippi or magical stelae, an image of the infant Horus on the front beneath a Bes-image is shown subduing dangerous animals. The Metternich Stela (acc. 50.85) is the largest and most elaborate example of the genre.This faience cippus is a variant where Pataikos replaces the Horus child and stands on the crocodiles usually trodden by Horus the child. On either shoulder figure Ba birds, Isis and Nephthys stand at either side, and on the back Maat spreads her wings in projection. Museum: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA.

Bes-image of the god Hor-Asha-Khet 4th-2nd century B.C. Late Period-Ptolemaic Period This statue has the visual form known for the god Bes, but the form was actually adopted for depictions of numerous other gods, usually ones related to Horus. This association might be related to the protector role of Bes-type demons in relation to the newborn sun. Egyptologists use the term "Bes-image" to describe such works, or in cases where the name of the god represented is not known. The inscription on this example reads: "Horus-Ashakhet, who makes live Ibi, son of Pediastarte, born of Tadiese...," indicating that the statuette represents an obscure god named Horus-Ashakhet. The offerer's father's name includes the name of the Semitic goddess Astarte, suggesting that the unreadable group of signs following the mother's name might be an epithet of Semitic origin.This aggressively posed image is notable for the refined polychrome surface decoration that articulates the god's physical features and t

Memorial Head (Nsodie) ca. 1800 Akan peoples This elegant terracotta head is a memorial portrait (nsodie) of an Akan ruler from present-day southern Ghana. It is an idealized representation whose serene expression and well-balanced features suggest the positive qualities such rulers are expected to embody. Created posthumously, royal images like this one were placed with the portraits of previous rulers in sacred areas within the cemetery called asensie. Generally, each royal figure was accompanied by sculptures of courtiers and servants, perhaps to provide aid and comfort to the deceased in the afterlife. Together, they formed sculptural assemblages that honored and preserved the memory of these respected individuals and the chiefly lineages of which they were part. At certain times of the year, the asensie was the focus of prayers, libations, and other offerings that ensured the continuing support and protection of the ancestors.Sculptures associated with this tradition, which dates

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