Vessel in the Form of a Kneeling Figure

Culture: Huastec
Period: Late Postclassic period, c.1200–1521
Date: c.1300–1500
Material: Ceramic and pigment
from: Veracruz state, Mexico, North and Central America
Classification: Ceramics, sculpture
Collection: Arts of Africa, Oceania, and the Americas
Current Location: On View, Gallery 237
Dimensions: 8 1/4 x 5 x 7 in. (21 x 12.7 x 17.8 cm)
Credit Line: Gift of Morton D. May
Rights: Public Domain
Object Number: 207:1978

NOTES

Dressed in a jacket and fringed sash, this vessel likely represents a woman, as the visible curves in the upper torso suggest breasts. Her eyes peek out from under the brim of a tall, decorated headdress that extends upward to the mouth of the vessel. Behind it, a long spout with a bridge handle enables the pouring of liquids. The smooth, rounded shapes and complex painted decorations seen here exemplify the high-end ceramic production of the Huastec people. The territory of the Huastec civilization includes the present-day Mexican state of Veracruz, where this vessel was made.

Provenance

- 1967
Everett Rassiga Inc., New York, NY, USA

1967 - 1978
Morton D. May (1914-1983), St. Louis, MO, purchased from Everett Rassiga Inc. [1]

1978 -
Saint Louis Art Museum, given by Morton D. May [2]

Notes:
[1] An invoice dated January 19, 1967 from Everett Rassiga Inc. to Morton D. May documents the purchase of this object, listed as "1878 Huastec stirrup vessel" [May Archives, Saint Louis Art Museum].

[2] A letter dated September 29, 1978 from Morton D. May to James N. Wood, director of the Saint Louis Art Museum, includes the offer of this object as part of a larger donation [SLAM document files]. Minutes of the Acquisitions Committee of the Board of Trustees, Saint Louis Art Museum, December 13, 1978.

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