Seated Male Figure Leaning Forward with Arms Crossed over Knees
c. 200 CE
Medium
Earthenware and pigment
Dimensions
18 × 14 × 12.8 cm (7 1/8 × 5 9/16 × 5 1/16 in.)
Classification
earthenware
Department
Arts of the Americas
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
120443
Art Historical Context
This seated male figure, created by artists of the Nayarit culture around 200 CE, exemplifies the lively ceramic traditions of ancient West Mexico. Measuring just over seven inches tall, the earthenware sculpture is modeled with a sense of natural movement, showing the figure leaning forward with arms resting casually over crossed knees. Traces of pigment suggest it was once brightly painted, adding expressive detail to the compact form. Such works belong to the broader artistic heritage of the Americas, where ceramics played a vital role in daily and ceremonial life. Nayarit sculptors skillf...