Seated Figure
Unknown Artist
300 BCE–700 CE (thermoluminescence date, 285 BCE–515 CE)
Medium
ceramic, slip
Dimensions
32.2 × 17.9 × 18.8 cm
Classification
Sculpture
Department
Art of the Americas
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
Gift of the Hanna Fund
Accession Number
1954.857
About this artwork
The most famous Zapotec tomb ceramics are elaborate figural urns flanked by smaller, simpler companions similar to this one. Like other companions, this example probably belonged to a set of nearly identical figures; two others remain in Mexico. The identity of ceramic tomb figures-whether elite humans, royal ancestors, or deities-is still debated. The Zapotec developed one of Mesoamerica’s earliest writing systems, evidenced by the hieroglyphs on the headdress and chest. These are the names of ...