Detail View: The AMICA Library: Pair of Marriage Figures

AMICA ID: 
MMA_.1978.412.156
AMICA Library Year: 
2002
Object Type: 
Decorative Arts and Utilitarian Objects
Description: 
Paired male and female figures are common subjects in the ceramics of the western Mexico cultures of Jalisco, Colima, and Nayarit. Named for the states in which the works have been discovered in quantity in deeply buried, multichambered shaft tombs, the ceramic sculptures show aspects of ritual life, from ballgame representations to feasting ceremonies to deceptively simple family scenes. While subject matter was relatively consistent throughout the entire region, style distinctions developed. The figures here are in Nayarit's Ixtlán del Río style, which is characterized by thin, pliant limbs, and stout, cylindrical torsos. Gender differences center on attire and activity, but both sexes wear numerous rings on ears and nose. Here the male figure wears a conical hat, a shoulder cloth, and a loincloth. He holds a drum in his right hand and raised drumstick in the other. His companion wears a shoulder cloth and skirt, and her right arm is draped around his shoulder.
Creator Nationality: 
North American; Central American; Mesoamerican; Nayarit
Creator Name-CRT: 
Nayarit
Title: 
Pair of Marriage Figures
View: 
Principal view
Creation Date: 
3rd?1st century B.C.
Creation Start Date: 
0
Creation End Date: 
0
Materials and Techniques: 
Ceramic
Creation Place: 
Mexico
Dimensions: 
H. 16 1/4 in. (41.3 cm)
AMICA Contributor: 
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Owner Location: 
New York, New York
ID Number: 
1978.412.156
Credit Line: 
The Michael C. Rockefeller Memorial Collection, Purchase, Nelson A. Rockefeller Gift, 1966
Copyright: 
Copyright ? 2002 The Metropolitan Museum of Art. All rights reserved.
Rights: 
Related Image Identifier Link: 
MMA_.h1_1978.412.156.tif