Female Figurine with Headdress
Unknown Artist
1200–900 BCE
Medium
pottery with traces of white and red pigment
Dimensions
11.2 × 3.7 × 4.2 cm
Classification
Sculpture
Department
Art of the Americas
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. James C. Gruener
Accession Number
1990.137
About this artwork
This ceramic figurine—in the style of Tlatilco, an early village site in central Mexico—depicts a female with a headdress or hat and long hair that cascades down her back. Since many figurines from the period depict females, modern interpreters usually connect them to fertility concerns. They also seem to testify to the importance of women among early Mesoamerican cultures.