In the art of the shaft tomb culture there are certain styles, like the Ixtlan River style, in which the caricatural expressions are more widely recognized; this is not the case of the Ameca-Etzatlan style, which includes abundant examples of this modality and I detect that it is associated with the small solid sculptures, such as the piece before us; it should be emphasized that their appearance remains human, certain features are distorted, but they are not fantastical.
In our female figure the caricature is seen in the pronounced height and narrowness of the head, and in the prominence of the nose. Together with the headdress it measures about half the total height of the piece. The profile makes the nose, consisting of a smooth volume, stand out, without flares or holes; it is clear in reality that there is no face, but instead a nose with the eyes glued on the same sides of the nasal projection; in the lower part there is a discreet chin-like elevation on which the mouth was represented.
This and the eyes have the same shape, they are circular applications with an elongated slit in the center which is called "coffee bean". Earrings that imitate a series of rings were attached to the sides of the nose. The headdress is a helmet with a kind of crest and cross bands; we also see two long strands of hair that frame the aforementioned nose-face.
The figure lacks a neck; in the body, apparently naked, the breasts stand out as sharp and separate projections; the waist is scarcely marked and a slight bulge suggests pregnancy; the black diagonal lines from the waist to the upper portion of the feet suggest painting or tattoos as much as clothing. The sculpture can not stand on its own; the fact that almost every detail and decor is only in the front could indicate that it was designed to be placed in a reclining position.
The varied interpretations that the artists of the important school in the area of Ameca-Etzatlan made of the human figure, from which we can consider as idealized beauties to caricature figures, show how the characteristic elements of the style stand out even in the works that are further from the anatomical models. Obviously, the head is the part that draws most of the visual attention; its size was suitable to represent the erect tabular skull cranial deformation, which enlarges the heads which in this case are somewhat exaggerated; the posterior flattening is also accentuated by the projection of the nose which, as is usual in this style, is aquiline and thin. Of course, the headdress is another outstanding attribute; it is interesting to note that in the sculptures of all formats, similar attributes have been represented; also, this type of headdress is worn by both women and men.
In the art of the shaft tomb culture there are certain styles, like the Ixtlan River style, in which the caricatural expressions are more widely recognized; this is not the case of the Ameca-Etzatlan style, which includes abundant examples of this modality and I detect that it is associated with the small solid sculptures, such as the piece before us; it should be emphasized that their appearance remains human, certain features are distorted, but they are not fantastical.
