This is a woman in a standing pose, with her arms at her sides and away from her torso, the elongated head corresponding to the upright tabular skull modification. She appears to be young. The piece allows us to focus on the criteria of naturalism present in the stylistic diversity of the ceramic art created by the Tlatilco culture, in correlation with its interactions with other cultures and population mobility.
From 1400 to 900 BC, this society occupied a large area in the Mesoamerican region known as Central Mexico or the Central Highlands. Their settlements are located in the western and southern sectors of the lake system of Texcoco, Xochimilco and Chalco. Among others, the sites of El Arbolillo, Tlatilco, Tlapacoya and Zohapilco are located in the current boundaries of the State of Mexico, and Gualupita, Atlihuayán, Chalcatzingo, San Pablo Hidalgo and Nexpa in Morelos. In addition to developing a strong local ceramic artistic tradition, the Tlatilco culture integrated artistic expressions from the Olmec culture of the Gulf Coast, as well as from the western region of Mesoamerica, particularly from the early phase of the shaft tomb tradition.
The creation by the Tlatiluenses of human images or fantastic beings with Olmec features, as well as peculiar pottery forms, such as the large belted bottles or bottles with stirrup handles, characteristic of the burial art of the areas of Capacha, in Colima, and Mascota, in Jalisco, testify that in Central Mexico artistic images converged that served as a model in local art, along with the exchange of various objects and materials, including artistic ones, as part of a network of commercial, political, religious and social relationships that contribute to sustaining the validity of Mesoamerica as a field of study
In this respect, the thick, parted lips with their slightly drooping corners are reminiscent of the typical Olmec mouth. However, the female figure is practically absent from the repertoire of Olmec culture; its predominance in the iconography of Tlatilco art allows us to see these interregional connections in the work. This woman's headdress is a kind of turban that continues at the back of the head; its anatomical naturalism is also worth noting, as it possibly suggests influences from the western region.
An adherence to the proportions and composition of the human body can be seen, especially when compared with the famous D1 type (see, for example, registration number 658 in the Amparo Museum collection) of Tlatilquense sculptural art. In this stylistic variant, the women have flattened torsos, narrow shoulders and waists that contrast with the width of the hips, conical legs without feet, and the attention to detail is in the frontal view, the back surface usually being worked only slightly.
With a different visual intentionality, it presents a more uniform three-dimensionality. On the flat base of the legs there are incisions that mark the toes, thus insinuating the feet. The hands are also represented means of the same device.
In the naturalistic conception of this woman, it seems incongruous that her arms are short; a technical matter explains it. These thin elements protruding from the torso are extremely fragile components in a ceramic sculpture; their limited length helps to prevent unwanted breakage. In this line of thought, it is significant, in relation to what I wanted to communicate, that the pieces elevate the upper extremities, since they visually express movement and vital postures.
