Rattle in the Form of a Standing Female Figure
Culture: Maya
Period: Pre-Columbian
Date: A.D. 600-900
Place made:Mexico
Medium: Earthenware
Dimensions:
h. 9 in. (22.9 cm)
Credit Line: San Antonio Museum of Art, gift of John and Kathi Oppenheimer
Object number: 2023.7.91
Provenance: Oppenheimer Family, San Antonio, Texas, before 1998 (note 1); John and Kathi Oppenheimer by gift to San Antonio Museum of Art, 2023.
Note 1: This object appears in a photograph of the Oppenheimer collection dated to 1998. It was likely acquired well before the photograph was made, as many objects in the Oppenheimer collection were acquired before 1980.
Label Text
In Maya art, many of the best-known figurines have relatively elongated features, like examples in the SAMA collection associated with Jaina island. However, Maya figural rattles from the Late Classic period (600-900 approx.) were created with much broader proportions: Note, for example, the wide face and legs on this rattle depicting a standing female figure. Her costume includes necklaces, a shoulder garment (called a quechquemitl in the distinct Aztec tradition) and skirt, as well as an elaborate ornamental coiffure. While the front of this figurine is relatively detailed, with attention to designs on the garments and the dimensions of the face, the back is completely unadorned, suggesting that the figure was likely displayed or used in a way that privileged viewing of its front face rather than viewing in the round. (Kristopher Driggers, 2024)
Not on view
In Collection(s)
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.
This resource has been made possible in part by the National Endowment for the Humanities: Exploring the Human Endeavor.
