Skip to main content
Collection of the Lowe Art Museum, University of Miami
Figure
Collection of the Lowe Art Museum, University of Miami
Collection of the Lowe Art Museum, University of Miami
© Lowe Art Museum, University of Miami. All rights reserved.

Figure

Artist/Maker (Mexico)
Dateca. 600-800
Mediumpottery and paint
DimensionsOverall: 22 x 13 1/8 x 5 in. (55.9 x 33.3 x 12.7 cm)
ClassificationsVisual Works
Credit LineGift of Edward R. Roberts
Terms
    Object number2006.31.7
    DescriptionSmiling clay sculptures from the Central Gulf of Mexico lowlands have become famous for their dynamic and lively expressions. Each piece of this large standing object was made in an individual mold and then attached prior to firing. The Olmec were the first to use molds for figurine construction and the technique was still in use at the time of European contact. This figure has a triangular head with the typical smiling expression. He is naked except for a necklace, wristbands, and earrings. Holes at the top of his head would have allowed for the attachment of additional ornaments. Holding a rattle in one hand, like all the smiling figures, he seems ready to dance. The function of these lovely figures is debated, and some scholars suggest they represent musicians performing at ritual ceremonies while others have interpreted the facial gesture as the grimace of pain by a sacrificial victim. There may also be connections to monkeys, who were widely viewed as intelligent, playful, and highly sexualized.
    On View
    Not on view
    Collection of the Lowe Art Museum, University of Miami
    Classic Veracruz
    ca. 200-400
    Collection of the Lowe Art Museum, University of Miami
    Gran Chiriquí
    ca. 800-1200
    Collection of the Lowe Art Museum, University of Miami
    Maya (archaeological culture)
    ca. 700-1000
    Collection of the Lowe Art Museum, University of Miami
    Classic Veracruz
    ca. 1200-1400
    Collection of the Lowe Art Museum, University of Miami
    Classic Veracruz
    ca. 600-900
    Collection of the Lowe Art Museum, University of Miami
    Classic Veracruz
    ca. 600-900
    Collection of the Lowe Art Museum, University of Miami
    Nayarit
    ca. 300 BCE-300 CE
    Collection of the Lowe Art Museum, University of Miami
    Classic Veracruz
    ca. 600-900
    Collection of the Lowe Art Museum, University of Miami
    Classic Veracruz
    ca. 600-900
    Collection of the Lowe Art Museum, University of Miami
    Classic Veracruz
    ca. 600-900
    Collection of the Lowe Art Museum, University of Miami
    Classic Veracruz
    ca. 600-900