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San Antonio Museum of Art, gift of Mrs. J. P. de Werthern.
Smiling Face
San Antonio Museum of Art, gift of Mrs. J. P. de Werthern.
Contact us at copyright@samuseum.org for rights and reproduction of this image.

Smiling Face

Artist Unknown
DepartmentLatin American Art
CultureRemojadas
Dateca. A.D. 550-950
MediumEarthenware
Dimensionsheight: 5 1/2 in. (14 cm)
width: 7 1/2 in. (19.1 cm)
Credit LineSan Antonio Museum of Art, gift of Mrs. J. P. de Werthern
Object number67.129.99
Geography
Place madeLaguna de los Cerros, Veracruz, Mexico
General regionNorth and Central America
DescriptionHead portion of a smiling figure. Wears a hat that has tassles or hair coming down to level of the mouth. The decorative motif on the hat is a comorant and also two half quatrifoils. Eyes are the typical blank style and mouth is open. Has a cleft chin. One round earring is present. Dab of what looks like modern red paint is on left side of chin.Label Text"Smiling" figures are part of a long tradition of mold-made, hollow ceramic figures created in Veracruz. They stand out in Mesoamerican art because of the rarity of smiles. Scholars have suggested figures like this one may represent children, persons with dwarfism, or supernatural beings. Each figure has unique aspects to the clothing and adornments worn. Depited on this figure's hat is a cormorant with a fish in its beak. The few “smiling” figures recovered from archaeological contexts demonstrate that they were used in activities that took place in major ceremonial centers and funerary contexts. (Bernadette, 2020)Provenancewith Mrs. Jeannette Petter de Werthern (1887-1991), Kettering, OH, by 1967; by donation to the Witte Museum, San Antonio, TX, 1967; by transfer to the San Antonio Museum of Art, 1994Published ReferencesKelker, 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
San Antonio Museum of Art, gift of Mrs. J. P. de Werthern.
Smiling Face
Unknown
Culture: Remojadas
c. A.D. 550 - 950
San Antonio Museum of Art, gift of Mrs. J. P. de Werthern.
Smiling Face
Unknown
Culture: Rejomadas
ca. A.D. 550-950
San Antonio Museum of Art, gift of Mrs. J. P. de Werthern.
Head with Face Paint
Unknown
Culture: Veracruz
c. A.D. 400
Gift of Mrs. A. A. Seeligson, Sr.
Male Figure with Helmet
Unknown
Culture: Colima
ca. 200 B.C.-A.D. 300
San Antonio Museum of Art, gift of Mrs. J. P. de Werthern.
Head with Tears
Unknown
ca. A.D. 500
Gift of Mrs. A. A. Seeligson, Sr.
Figure with Headdress and Wings
Unknown
Culture: Veracruz
ca. 600 A.D.
Image Not Available for Seated Male Figure
Seated Male Figure
Unknown
Culture: Nayarit
ca. 200 B.C.-A.D. 300
Image Not Available for Standing Human Figure
Standing Human Figure
Unknown
Culture: Chupicuaro
ca. 500-100 B.C.
Gift of Mrs. A. A. Seeligson, Sr.
Figure with Arms Extended
Unknown
Culture: Veracruz
ca. A.D. 300-500
San Antonio Museum of Art, gift of Mrs. A. A. Seeligson, Sr.
Head with Elaborate Hair Style
Unknown
Culture: Veracruz
ca. A.D. 400
Gift of Henry Willard Lende, Jr.
Maya Escuintla Incense Burner
Unknown
Culture: Maya
A.D. 250-550
San Antonio Museum of Art, Gift of Mrs. J.P. de Werthern.
Female with Headdress
Unknown
Culture: Veracruz
ca. A.D. 150-250

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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