Around 600 A.D., after the shaft tomb culture collapsed, there were radical changes in Western Mesoamerica. The notable cultural integration that had existed between the societies living in Nayarit, southern Zacatecas, Jalisco, Colima and neighboring parts of Michoacan became diluted and a tradition that went back to the Middle Preclassic period, with its distinct burial art and practices, came to an abrupt end. Several developments that were regional or limited in reach emerged from among the transformations experienced in this region during the Epiclassic period. This small female sculpture is a testament to the new plastic languages and different aesthetic sensibilities.
This piece seems almost heretical with its highly schematic and impersonal appearance, which is in stark contrast with the shaft tomb culture's masterful modeling of the human form and its predominantly realistic style that essentially used three dimensional forms and a wide range of creative variations depending on the region, which was characteristic their sculpture. It belongs to the Cerro de Garcia style, which was an elevated area located in the southeast basin of the Chalapa lake, although these types of pieces have been found in an area extending from the nearby basin of the Sayula Lagoon, to the Atemajac Valley and the Tequila volcano zone. It is worth mentioning, however, that the distribution is relatively wide, although its production is not considered to be large.
The Cerro de Garcia style can be seen exclusively in small solid ceramic sculptures, with flattened bodies and large triangular heads and the representation of nude standing females predominates. The figurines are able to stand on their own and their feet have a lifted arch. The sculptor focused on the front leaving the back plain.
Once you get beyond the initial impression of their characteristic schematicism, the interesting details that demonstrate the different workshops that made them start to stand out; the artist's hand is evident in their individuality and their special focus on ornamenting their nudity in different ways. Our tiny piece belongs to the stylistic variant known as type "E", which feature embossed eyebrows, eyes made with just one depression and a round indent at the top and on the interior of the head. The face does not have a mouth, instead it has a hooped nose ring. The ears have large circular perforations in the lobes with disk-shaped earrings. A coat of red pigment was applied, and on the face you can see traces of ocher and white paint. Decorations were added to the body with sgraffito and scratches, which stand out on the reddened surface. It is also adorned with a choker, which goes around twice and two bracelets made with pastillage, a technique where small portions of clay are applied.
Around 600 A.D., after the shaft tomb culture collapsed, there were radical changes in Western Mesoamerica. The notable cultural integration that had existed between the societies living in Nayarit, southern Zacatecas, Jalisco, Colima and neighboring parts of Michoacan became diluted and a tradition that went back to the Middle Preclassic period, with its distinct burial art and practices, came to an abrupt end. Several developments that were regional or limited in reach emerged from among the transformations experienced in this region during the Epiclassic period. This small female sculpture is a testament to the new plastic languages and different aesthetic sensibilities.
