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HOME :
Pre-Columbian Art :
Pre-Columbian Masterpieces : Chupicuaro Sculpture of a Voluptuous Woman
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Chupicuaro Sculpture of a Voluptuous Woman - PF.1968
Origin: Chupicuaro, Mexico
Circa: 350
BC
to 250
BC
Dimensions:
2.5" (6.4cm) high
x 1.75" (4.4cm) wide
Collection: Pre-Columbian
Style: Chupicuaro
Medium: Terracotta
Location: Great Britain
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| Description |
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The remains of a once vibrant culture are now
submerged under a lake. Fortunately,
excavations in the 1940's on the site were able
to uncover sufficient artifacts to give us an
intriguing picture of people who lived there
centuries ago. Chupicuaro was the elaborate
burial ground of a village above the Lerma River
in the state of Guanajuato, eighty miles
northwest of the Valley of Mexico. The abundant
offerings of pottery, jade, and figurines
discovered there attest to a flourishing artistic
culture. One of the most endearing types of the
clay objects is the small female figures, or 'pretty
ladies'. They typically show a naked female with
short arms, extended stomach and a fancy
coiffure or headdress.
Boldly voluptuous, this little woman belongs to a
tradition as old as time itself, the fertility
Goddess. Mankind's earliest religion focused on
the mother, the generous source of life itself.
This powerful figure seems the epitome of
abundant femininity, a female possessed of
eternal powers. She is sister to Neolithic idols, to
Astarte, to Isis, to Venus, and all other such
goddesses. We have no difficulty recognizing
her magic, in comprehending her enduring
mystery.
- (PF.1968)
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