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31
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- Couple of male and female figures
standing with hands rais…
See original version (French)
31
-
- Couple of male and female figures
standing with hands rais…
See original version (French)
Estimate €5,000 - €8,000
Voluntary lot
Description
- Couple of male and female figures
standing with hands raised
Beige terracotta, remains of white polychromy, slightly broken and glued, small fillings
Veracruz, Remojadas / Nopiloa group, Mexico, Classical period, c. AD 600 - 900
39 x 24.5 cm; 40 x 26.5 cm
Provenance :
Former collection of Dr Viktoria Von Flemming.
Former collection of Robert L. Stolper, Munich.
Entered Germany in the first half of the 20th century
Gaïa sale, Paris, 27 May 2008, lot n°419
This pair stands out for the unity of its workmanship, betraying the hand of the same artist and confirming that it is a set conceived as such - a rare configuration in this corpus. The two figures adopt a codified posture, arms raised to the sky, thumbs folded inwards, suggesting a ritual gesture of invocation. The man is holding a ceremonial rattle, an attribute associated with music and trance practices. The faces, with their open features and concentrated expression, belong to the group of so-called "smiling" figures from Veracruz, generally associated with ceremonies combining dance, rhythm and altered states of consciousness.
The way they are dressed underlines their status: an incised headband with lateral projections for the female figure, ear ornaments, a high belt marking the torso, and a decorated rectangular loincloth. The overall composition is well-balanced, based on frontality, repetition of gesture and simplification of volume, giving these figures a clear, structured reading in a formal language typical of the region.
See original version (French)
Auto-translation. Refer to original language for legal validity.
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
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