Female Figure
500–300 BCE
Medium
Earthenware and pigment
Dimensions
12.2 × 5.2 × 3.6 cm (4 13/16 × 2 1/16 × 1 7/16 in.)
Classification
earthenware
Department
Arts of the Americas
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
120519
Art Historical Context
This small yet expressive Female Figure, crafted by artisans of the Chupícuaro culture between 500 and 300 BCE, offers a window into the artistic traditions of ancient west-central Mexico. Standing just over four inches tall, the earthenware sculpture was formed by hand and enhanced with pigment, a technique that allowed the Chupícuaro people to create durable, vividly colored works intended for ritual or funerary use. Such figures often accompanied the deceased, suggesting they held deep spiritual significance as companions or symbols of fertility and continuity. Chupícuaro ceramics are cele...