Large "Baby face" seated figure. Seated figure, legs apart, - Lot 144

Large "Baby face" seated figure. Seated figure, legs apart, hands resting on knees. Right arm outstretched, palm facing up. The torso is thick, with a round belly supporting a pierced navel. The stocky legs contrast with the slender bust. The face is characteristic of the Olmec culture: tapered eyes with deep-set pupils, an aquiline nose and a mouth with full lips that reveal the upper gums. The elongated skull is ritually deformed backwards. Its hair is signified by grooves. A cross-shaped hole at the nape of the neck and a pierced navel serve as a firing vent. These works were deposited as offerings, and the discoveries made at the El Manati site reinforce the idea that these objects were considered symbols of regeneration and procreation, in connection with water and rain. Red-brown hollow terracotta with trace of red pigment and kaolin residue. Burn marks. Firing holes, broken/glued and surface wear. Olmec culture, Tlatilco, Mexico Valley, Preclassic period, Mexico, 1150 to 550 B.C. Height: 36.2 cm - Depth: 25 cm Provenance : - Guy Loudmer sale, Palais Galliera, March 29, 1974, no. 61. - Private collection of M. R., France. Acquired from her.