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Female Figurine
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art. Free to download, adapt and use — no permission needed.
About this work
This ceramic figurine—in the style of Tlatilco, an early village site near Mexico City—depicts a nude female with an elaborate coiffure, attenuated arms, and the traces of mineral pigment. Since many figurines from the period depict females, modern interpreters usually connect them to fertility concerns. At Tlatilco, figurines were found in human burials that had been placed under the floors of homes.
Cleveland Museum of Art’s own descriptionCredit lineFemale Figurine, c. 1200–900 BCE. Mesoamerica, Central Mexico, Tlatilco. Earthenware with pigment; overall: 10.9 x 4.1 cm (4 5/16 x 1 5/8 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. James C. Gruener, 1990.144
