Female Holding A Bowl Figurine

600 BC-AD 250

Female Holding A Bowl Figurine, 600 BC-AD 250. Mesoamerica, Guanajuato or Michoacán, Chupícuaro. Ceramic, pigment; overall: 7.5 x 3.8 x 2.1 cm (2 15/16 x 1 1/2 x 13/16 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. James C. Gruener 1990.143 Small, solid, hand-modeled figurines were a staple of the early Mesoamerican artistic repertoire. Made in distinctive styles corresponding to geographic regions, they likely were used in a variety of contexts, including rites to assure health, fertility, and prosperity. This example is from the Chupícuaro region, north of modern-day Mexico City. Small, solid, hand-modeled figurines were a staple of the early Mesoamerican artistic repertoire.