Female Figure
Unknown Artist
12th–14th century
Medium
Ceramic, slip
Dimensions
H. 25 x W. 13 5/8 x D. 6 1/2 in. (63.5 x 34.6 x 16.5 cm)
Classification
Ceramics-Sculpture
Culture
Chancay
Department
Arts of Africa, Oceania, and the Americas
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Michael C. Rockefeller Memorial Collection, Bequest of Nelson A. Rockefeller, 1979
Accession Number
1979.206.933
Tags
Art Historical Context
This striking *Female Figure* from theay culture (12th14th century) embodies artistic prowess of pre-Columbian Peru's coast. Standing at 25 inches tall, this ceramic sculpture captures a graceful, elongated female form, characteristic of Chancay pottery known for its slender, stylized human representations. Crafted during the late Intermediate Period, it reflects a society flourishing along Peru's arid coast, where communities thrived through agriculture, fishing, and intricate craftsmanship. Chancay artists excelled in ceramics, using slip—a liquid clay mixture—to create smooth, often white ...