Motherhood was represented in two ways in Mesoamerican art: it was associated with female bodies that showed a bulging and round belly, a clear allusion to a state of pregnancy; and secondly it was related to figures of women accompanied by infants. Both forms refer to one of the most vulnerable states of the human being.
This piece comes from the Central Highlands, specifically from Tlatilco and from the period known as Preclassic (2500 - 500 B.C.). The figure represents a richly dressed woman made from modeled clay.
The individual's legs are corpulent and wide, a bodily feature that denotes reproductive maturity and potential fertility, It is striking, however, that the sex is not marked. On the other hand, the figure's feet are marked by two vertical lines that simulate three toes and a horizontal line that indicates the separation between the foot and the calf. These details were made using the incision technique. The arms, in contrast, are very short compared to the legs, and these also have lines that give shape to the hands. The disproportionate dimensions of the upper limbs allow us to affirm that these are not realistic, but minimalist or conceptual.
Two breasts with incisions representing the nipples were designed on the woman's torso, the right being more noticeable. Unlike other female figures from Tlatilco, piece 638 has a bulging belly marked by an extended navel. This feature was one of the earliest resources Mesoamericans used to represent pregnancy.
The individual is wearing earrings and a necklace made using the pastillage technique, consisting of two circles from which two ribbons fall down the sides. It is possible that this detail alludes to a necklace made with a wooden circle to which fabrics or cords were knotted as decoration. On the other hand, the figure wears a headdress in which a cloth wound around the skull can be seen.
The woman's face was made using the pastillage technique: the eyes are completely round and lack any kind of refined detail, the nose is prominent and it looks worn, which leads to the loss of the original dimension of the facial features. The lips are seen to be large and wide, and are separated by a line that emulates the gesture of the mouth. This detail also shows significant wear.
Preclassic societies created an entire aesthetic canon around motherhood, as this was considered one of the main attributes of women, who had the ability to bring new individuals into the world. Birth was an issue of great importance among ancient peoples, as each newborn meant an addition of labor and military power to the community.
