Standing figure - Xochipala

Condition: Intact
Object sold with a certificate of authenticity and a thermoluminescence test.

XOCHIPALA - GUERRERO - Mexico, 1150 - 900 B.C

Standing with legs slightly bent, and arms raised, this asexual yet masculine figure reveals a deep sense of observation in the artist who brought it to life and a great attention to anatomical detail. There is no distinctive attire on this naked man. On the other hand, there is a thorough treatment of the hairstyle and face.

The hair, once painted black, has been carefully engraved with a point on either side of a central parting, and the outline of this disciplined hair appears clean and in slight relief. The carefully modeled face is also shouting realism. The arched eyebrows rise above tapered eyes with shaped eyelids and hollowed-out irises, framing a graceful nose with curved nostrils. The cheeks are full and the curve of the face perfect. The ears wear circular adornments that suggest that the face embodies a dignitary, perhaps a shaman as part of an intense ritual ceremony.

The half-opened mouth has thin lips and a moustache, an unusual detail that confirms that we are in the presence of a man.

The head rests on a clear neck. The rounded shoulders are extended by two bent arms. The right arm is bent with the hand in front of the face, at the level of the mouth, while the left arm is completely raised, with the hand positioned behind the top of the head, the palm facing the sky. Note the extreme attention paid to the hands, each finger of which has been shaped with great dexterity.

The rest of the body displays harmonious proportions. The artist has figured the pectorals on the bust and has worked the lower abdomen so that it appears slightly fat. The hole of the navel is visible. The legs, slightly apart, present muscular thighs and shins and flat feet with well defined toes.

As a proof of the artist's commitment to his work, the reverse side of the figure is manufactured with the same high standards as the face. One can observe the delicately incised hair, the graceful curve of the neck and shoulders, the volume of the shoulder blades accentuated by the depression of the spine leading to the rounded buttocks, and finally the bending of the knees.