Artwork
Figure with Arms Extended
Artist
Unknown
DepartmentLatin American Art
CultureVeracruz
Dateca. A.D. 300-500
Dimensionsheight: 19 11/16 in. (50 cm)
Credit LineSan Antonio Museum of Art, gift of Mrs. A. A. Seeligson, Sr.
Object number77.1115
GeographyPlace madeRemojadas, Veracruz, Mexico
General regionNorth and Central America
DescriptionComplete standing figure of a male with arms extending up, bent at the elbow. The figure wears a mulitcomponent hat that has ear flaps. Parts of the hat are covered with bitumen. Also worn are earrings/earflares; a necklace with a large rectangular pendant that covers a good portion of the chest; a belt with loin cloth, two sets of bands on the legs; a band on each arm above the elbow; and sandals. The eyes, mouth, and area from the bands to the shoulder are covered in bitumen. Something is held in the right hand that has been broken. There are two rectangular holes in the back of the vessel to vent while in the kiln. The back is undecorated.Label TextThis standing figurine is of a style known from the region of Veracruz, Mexico. Based on the clothing depicted, the figure may be that of a ball player. The Mesoamerican ballgame was a great obsession in this region as seen by multiple ballcourts present at major centers. The blackened areas on this figure are made by application of bitumen (tar) which is a diagnostic of art from the Veracruz region. (Bernadette Cap, 2022)Provenancewith Mrs. A. A. Seeligson, Sr. (Ramona Frates Seeligson) (1898-1998), San Antonio, TX, by 1977; by gift to the Witte Museum, San Antonio, TX, 1977; by transfer to the San Antonio Museum of Art, 1994Exhibition HistoryAmerica Before Columbus: Pre-Columbian Art in the Collection of the San Antonio Museum of Art (San Antonio Museum of Art), 1985Published ReferencesNancy L. Kelker and Karen O. Bruhns, Faking Ancient Mesoamerica (London: Routledge, 2010), 57.Kelker, Nancy L, and San Antonio Museum Association. America before Columbus: Pre-Columbian Art in the Collection of the San Antonio Museum Association (San Antonio: San Antonio Museum Association, 1985), 125.
Kelker, Nancy L, and San Antonio Museum Association. America before Columbus: Pre-Columbian Art in the Collection of the San Antonio Museum Association (San Antonio: San Antonio Museum Association, 1985), 125.
On view
Collections
The San Antonio Museum of Art is in the process of digitizing its permanent collection. This electronic record was created from historic documentation that does not necessarily reflect SAMA's complete or current knowledge about the object. Review and updating of such records is ongoing.
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