Pre-Columbian Veracruz Pottery Head
Pre-Columbian Veracruz Pottery Head
Pre-Columbian Veracruz Pottery Head
Pre-Columbian Veracruz Pottery Head
Pre-Columbian Veracruz Pottery Head
Pre-Columbian Veracruz Pottery Head
Pre-Columbian Veracruz Pottery Head
Pre-Columbian Veracruz Pottery Head
Pre-Columbian Veracruz Pottery Head
Pre-Columbian Veracruz Pottery Head
Pre-Columbian Veracruz Pottery Head
Pre-Columbian Veracruz Pottery Head
Pre-Columbian Veracruz Pottery Head
Pre-Columbian Veracruz Pottery Head
Pre-Columbian Veracruz Pottery Head
Pre-Columbian Veracruz Pottery Head
Pre-Columbian Veracruz Pottery Head
Pre-Columbian Veracruz Pottery Head
Pre-Columbian Veracruz Pottery Head
Pre-Columbian Veracruz Pottery Head
Pre-Columbian Veracruz Pottery Head
Pre-Columbian Veracruz Pottery Head
Pre-Columbian Veracruz Pottery Head
Pre-Columbian Veracruz Pottery Head Pre-Columbian Veracruz Pottery Head Pre-Columbian Veracruz Pottery Head Pre-Columbian Veracruz Pottery Head Pre-Columbian Veracruz Pottery Head Pre-Columbian Veracruz Pottery Head Pre-Columbian Veracruz Pottery Head Pre-Columbian Veracruz Pottery Head Pre-Columbian Veracruz Pottery Head Pre-Columbian Veracruz Pottery Head Pre-Columbian Veracruz Pottery Head

Pre-Columbian Veracruz Pottery Head

17502

$595.00
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A finely modeled terracotta head fragment from the Veracruz culture of Gulf Coast Mexico, Classic Period (circa 250–600 CE), depicting an elite or ceremonial figure with the angular, expressive features characteristic of Remojadas-tradition portraiture. The front of a hollow ceramic figure with strongly modeled, angular facial features—high cheekbones, deeply recessed cheeks, and a pointed chin. The parted lips reveal a row of teeth, a hallmark of Veracruz figural sculpture associated with the famed sonriente ("smiling figure") tradition of the Remojadas region. Large applied disc-form ear ornaments (orejeras) flank the head, and a striated, incised headband or turban-style headdress crowns the brow—signaling elite or ceremonial status.


Size: 6 inches in (15.24cm) height (plus custom display base)

Veracruz ceramic figures of this period were produced as votive and funerary offerings along Mexico's Gulf Coast, where the Remojadas and related Totonac workshops flourished between 300 and 900 CE. Their expressive facial modeling, applied ornaments, and incised headdresses were intended to convey rank, identity, and ritual role within Mesoamerican society.

The lot is accompanied by a Thermoluminescence Report (No. 429405) from Laboratory Ralf Kotalla, one of Europe's longest-established private TL laboratories, calculating the last firing of the ceramic at approximately 1,600 years ago (+/- 20%)—consistent with a Classic-Period Veracruz attribution. TL analysis measures radiation accumulated in the clay since its original firing above 500°C, providing scientific confirmation that the piece was fired in antiquity rather than being a modern reproduction.

Provenance  Ex-collection Dr. Henry Cherrick (d. 2023, age 84), professor and dean at the UCLA School of Dentistry, who pioneered federal programs promoting dental care for HIV/AIDS patients and was an avid collector of fine art and antiquities.

Every object is guaranteed authentic and as described, and has been legally acquired and imported in accordance with U.S. and applicable foreign regulations on the movement and sale of antiquities. A signed certificate of authenticity with a description and photograph accompanies this object. Any restoration is described on the invoice.

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Any object may be returned within 14 days of receipt for a refund or credit. Contact us first. See Buying from Us.

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