Figure
Unknown Artist
2200–2000 BCE
Medium
Ceramic
Dimensions
H. 4 × W. 1 1/4 × D. 1 in. (10.2 × 3.2 × 2.5 cm)
Classification
Ceramics-Sculpture
Culture
Valdivia
Department
Arts of Africa, Oceania, and the Americas
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Timothy, Peter, and Jonathan Zorach, 1980
Accession Number
1980.83.12
Tags
Art Historical Context
This petite ceramic figure, crafted by an unknown Valdivia artist around 2200–2000 BCE, stands just 4 inches tall and embodies the ingenuity of one of the Americas' earliest pottery-making cultures Hailing from coastal Ecuador, the Valdivia people were pioneers in the region, producing fired clay vessels and sculptures as early as 3500 BCE. This delicate piece, likely depicting a stylized female form, reflects their skill in hand-building small-scale works, perfect for personal or ritual use. The figure's modest dimensions—H. 4 × W. 1 1/4 × D. 1 in.—suggest it was a portable object, perhaps c...