This ceramic piece from western Mesoamerica, most likely Michoacan, dates from two thousand years ago. It's one of my favorite works from the region. The mother rolls corn dough into tortillas with a stone rolling pin against a flat stone surface called a metate. The son sneaks in from behind and swipes one of the tortillas.
National Museum of Anthropology and History
These two figures reflect the Ixtlan del Rio style of Nayarit State, Mexico. This style has broad facial features, a small and undistinct mouth, and slightly bulging eyes. The pair at left have matching attire, which archaeologists have traced to ancient clothing patterns from Ecuador! This suggests very long-distance culture exchange between the Pacific coasts of Mexico and South America. The figure at right is a warrior, clothed in a similarly patterned tunic; the expression on his face and in his stance is almost wild.
Metropolitan Museum of Art, National Museum of Anthropology and History
Numerous models of houses have been found in the shaft tombs of Nayarit, and evidence does support the idea that these modeled actual house styles. This model and many others show geometric paintings on the plastered roofs and vertical striping along the outside walls. Often these scenes include some sort of feast, especially in commemoration of deceased ancestors, much like today's Days of the Dead festivals in Mexico.
National Museum of Anthropology and History
Another woman sculpture, made in the Ixtlan del Rio style. This standing figure is holding a cup in her right hand, and a delicate braid wraps her head. As with the other figures above, the skirt has a stepped pattern that recalls contemporary designs from Ecuador. The similarities could indicate that the elites of West Mexico were illustrating either cultural emulation or even family descent from their peers in South America.
Worcester Art Museum
Another of my favorite Formative works, also in clay ceramic. The father is the one in the middle, holding his child over his knee. The mother's head pokes out from behind him, with her hands placed over his eyes in a game with the kid.
National Museum of Anthropology and History
Jalisco style, like the Colima and Nayarit styles, is typically dated from 200 B.C.E. to 500 C.E. The Jalisco style often has features like the two women featured here: a tall face, narrow eyes, and scarred shoulders. The woman at left has very small arms, another common feature of the style. The seated woman at right is holding a shallow plate.
Museum of Fine Arts, National Museum of Anthropology and History
One of the more specific and common styles found in Jalisco is the Ameca-Etzatlán, represented by this small squatting figure. The long and smooth brow, protruding mouth, and bulging eyes are often characteristic of this particular style. The piece here holds a knobby rattle in its right hand.
National Museum of Anthropology and History