The lot examined here corresponds to some of the largest and finest figurines located in the Huasteca region. Archaeologically they were named with the non-descriptive designation "Panuco C type." This name dates from the mid-forties, when they were found in the lowlands of the Panuco-Tampico region. Likewise, they are more commonly distributed in the North Gulf subarea, and less frequently in the North Central Gulf subarea. They were attributed to the Classic Period (300-900 A.D.), but it is possible that their peak was during the Early Classic (300-600 A.D.). These are the most striking representations found in the Huasteca.
The figurines of this group are mostly young women who are either naked or wearing few clothes; they have with ponytails, turbans and headdresses that are sometimes very elaborate. They have elongated bodies, extended necks and narrow waists. Sometimes they have painted or modeled attire or clothing around their waists and necklaces around their necks. It is common for them to show scarifications or tattoos, mainly on the shoulders or thighs, which are represented by dots, bulbs, or clay fillets.
The faces, which are sometimes polished, have fine features and eyes indicated by incised lines with a perforation in the center. In many cases they seem to be looking upwards. Almost all of them have large earrings. Their postures are often dynamic, as though participating in an activity requiring body movement. The legs are normally open without sandals or other protection.
The demeanor of these representations is of athletes who most likely practiced some variant of the ball game. This ritual, which is at least 3,000 years old on the Gulf Coast, was normally performed by men with elite status, especially from the Classic Period (300-900 A.D.). However, and unlike most of Mesoamerica, in the Huasteca there are representations of women participating in this rite, suggesting that at least some formats of this ceremony had female players, and perhaps a local audience.
These figurines were normally made of fine paste and fired in open ovens, like the vast majority of pieces of this type from the Gulf Coast. It is very common that the central part of these were not completely fired, because the temperature of the ovens was not even. Moreover, the vast majority have been found broken in household garbage dumps due to their extensive use. However, the lot in question here (“Panuco C”) appears to have been fired evenly at a very high temperature, as if it had been done in modern closed ovens.
The surfaces are free of oxidation stains, which is the discoloration that occurs when air comes into with objects that are fired in open ovens. The temperature was so high and of such duration that it could have left the pieces exceptionally fragile. Not just a few are broken but almost all of these fractures look modern, and were probably caused by accidents during transportation. An analysis focused on the manufacture of these pieces should be considered in the future to clarify or define any issues regarding the authenticity of these pieces.
The present figurine represents a young woman with her arms outstretched almost to her knees and an open-legged ritual posture. The shoulders show bulb scarification. On the arms there are two bands that could represent the same phenomenon by the elbows. Although these are more likely to symbolize ritual armbands or more feasibly still, hard cloth protectors for use in the ball game.
The face has the same shape as figurine number 1194, with a perforation in the middle of the eyes to mark the pupil, the eyebrows being barely visible using elevation, and the ears apparently pierced by a large earring, in this case shown by a composite earring. There appears to be a cap on the head with feathers towards the front and towards the back vertically, as they are found in the Huasteca. This apparel is as much a helmet as a crest.
The fingers and toes are represented using incision with the exception of the thumbs which are formed by a small clay fillet. This is an unusual practice with the figurines of this region. The torso is extremely thin with a very long neck. It features a thick shaped necklace with a decoration that resembles a coffee bean.
The legs look normal but very wide and are in fact exaggerated at the top. The only clothing she is wearing is a cloth band covering her genitalia, made of heavily worn tar, and apparently some white paint, which was probably applied before the tar. In the back part, the figurine has large buttocks.
