**Originally Listed At $2500** Pre-Columbian, Southern Mexico to Guatemala, Olmec, ca. 1200 to 600 BCE. A charming pottery figure of a baby depicted sitting with characteristically fleshy limbs extended - legs splayed apart and arms outstretched - each tapered to a petite hand or foot. The endearing child presents with a bit of extra body fat that we endearingly refer to as baby fat, which is interrupted by an openwork navel. His elongated head presents with an expressive visage comprised of puffy cheeks, slanted eyes with perforated pupils, a protruding nose, and an open mouth revealing two sharp teeth, crowned by a cap-like coiffure that is impressed with a rhythmic texture and adorned with red pigment. This oblong shape of the head has been attributed to deliberate skull shaping. The skin boasts remains of white pigment with some traces of red pigment here and there. A wonderful example with hallmark Olmec baby facial features as well as a playful attitude and infantile pose. Size: 10.3" W x 12.5" H (26.2 cm x 31.8 cm) The Olmec are famous for their human depictions; as the first major civilization in this fertile area, their artwork inspired the civilizations that came after them to the point that we think some of them even revered Olmec artwork and kept it as heirlooms. Figures of this style are known as "baby face," with plump bodies and chubby, pouty facial features. Infants are a recurring theme from Olmec art, though who they actually represent is unknown. According to James Doyle, Assistant Curator, Department of the Arts of Africa, Oceania, and the Americas at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, "These could be portraits of elite babies, infantilized portraits of actual individuals, idealized portraits of deities or mythological characters, or some other type of ritual agent. They could be memorials to infants that left this world too early, or representative emblems of whole lineages." This piece has been tested using thermoluminescence (TL) analysis and has been found to be ancient and of the period stated. A full printed and bound report is available to the buyer upon request. Provenance: private Hidden Valley Lake, California, USA collection, purchased on June 12, 2020; ex-Artemis Gallery; ex-private Hillard collection, Boulder, Colorado, USA; ex-Tucson, Arizona, USA collection, acquired before 1980 All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back. A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids. We ship worldwide and handle all shipping in-house for your convenience. #170463品相报告: Repaired from multiple pieces with areas of restoration over the break lines, but some break lines visible. Loss of right hand. Restoration to top of head and proper right lower leg, ankle, and foot. Note the head, right foot, left leg, and left arm have been reattached. Expected surface wear with nicks, abrasions, and pigment loss as shown. Chipping to feet and hand. Annular perforations on verso beneath each arm. Otherwise, very nice with great remaining pigments and areas of mineral deposits. TL holes to torso, arms, and underside of legs.