NCMA Explore Mexico | Standing Female Figure

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Sculptures such as these were created as tomb offerings and may have represented the deceased person’s relatives or ancestors. The people of Nayarit dug deep shaft tombs to house the dead. Multiple skeletons found in the large chambers of shaft tombs suggest that each tomb may have been a family crypt, or burial site. This female figure holds a small bowl, possibly for presenting a food offering. Note the designs on the edge of her wrap skirt. The artist reproduced a woven pattern by modeling the clay rather than painting details on the figure. https://learn.ncartmuseum.org/artwork/standing-female-figure/