Female Figure
Unknown Artist
12th–9th century BCE
Medium
Ceramic
Dimensions
Height 4-3/8 in. (11.1 cm)
Classification
Ceramics-Sculpture
Culture
Tlatilco
Department
Arts of Africa, Oceania, and the Americas
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Caroline Mailhot, 1996
Accession Number
1996.454.4
Tags
Art Historical Context
This petite ceramic Female Figure, standing just 4-3/8 inches tall, hails from the ancient Tlatilco culture of central Mexico, dating to the 12th–9th century BCE. Tlatilco was one of the earliest settled societies in the Basin of Mexico, flourishing during the Preclassic period before the rise of better-known civilizations like the Aztecs. These small figurines, hand-modeled from clay and fired to a warm earthen tone, were commonly produced in large numbers, suggesting they played a vital role in everyday rituals or domestic shrines. Artistically, the figure exemplifies Tlatilco's distinctive...