Ancient Ceramic Figures

Depictions of ancient ceramic figures from various cultures, showcasing unique craftsmanship, styles, and forms of human representation.

Standing female figure, late 19th century, 11 1/2 × 3 1/16 × 3 9/16 in. (29.21 × 7.78 × 9.05 cm) (with base), Wood, Angola, 19th century

Assets in this Story

Male Figure 250 BCE-400 CE Michoacán. Ceramic and pigment . Michoacan

Standing Figure

Ceramic Seated Female Figure. Culture: Carchi. Dimensions: H. 10 x W. 7 in. (25.4 x 17.8 cm). Date: 11th-16th century. Museum: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA.

Prehistory, Iraq, Samara culture. Alabaster female figure, 6th millennium b.C. From Tell es-Sawwan. Detail.

Double-sided Wooden Figure Carving 8th-mid-16th century Peru; north or central coast (). Double-sided Wooden Figure Carving 309269

Standing Male Figure, AD 300-900 (Thermoluminescence date, 240-945). Mexico, Gulf Coast, 4th-10th Century. Earthenware, asphalt and resin paint; overall: 58.5 x 24.8 x 14.7 cm (23 1/16 x 9 3/4 x 5 13/16 in.).

Standing female figure, late 19th century, 11 1/2 × 3 1/16 × 3 9/16 in. (29.21 × 7.78 × 9.05 cm) (with base), Wood, Angola, 19th century

Female Figurine, 400-100 BC. Mesoamerica, Guanajuato or Michoacán, Chupícuaro. Ceramic, pigment; overall: 9 x 4.8 x 1.9 cm (3 9/16 x 1 7/8 x 3/4 in.).

Seated Figure Wearing Serpent Mask. Mexico, Oaxaca, Monte Alban IIIb (), 500-900 CE. Ceramics. Gray ceramic, carved, incised, and burnished

Female Figurine. Chupícuaro; Guanajuato or Michoacán, Mexico. Date: 500 BC-300 BC. Dimensions: H. 18.5 cm (10 1/2 in.). Ceramic and pigment. Origin: Guanajuato state. Museum: The Chicago Art Institute, Chicago, USA.

Seated Male Deity (). Culture: Aztec. Dimensions: Overall: 17 3/4 x 7 1/4 x 8 3/4 in. (45.09 x 18.42 x 22.23 cm)Other: 7 1/4 x 8 3/4 in. (18.42 x 22.23 cm). Date: 15th-early 16th century. Museum: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA.

Whistle. Mexico, Maya, 600-800 CE. Ceramics. Slip-painted ceramic

Standing figure. Culture: Bahia. Dimensions: H. 11 x W. 4 in. (27.9 x 10.2 cm). Date: 3rd-4th century. Museum: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA.

Fantastic animal. Terracotta with traces of polychromy. China, Northern Wei Dynasty. Paris, Cernuschi museum. Fantastic animal, Chinese art, China, Northern Wei dynasty, Mingqi, Funeral statuette, terracotta, polychromy trace

Standing Female Figure, 600-900. Mexico, Veracruz, Veracruz Monumental Sculpture type. Burnished pottery with orange slip, traces of red and white pigment, and asphalt paint; overall: 71.1 x 31.8 x 17.8 cm (28 x 12 1/2 x 7 in.).

Water Deity (Chalchiuhtlicue). Culture: Aztec. Dimensions: H. 15 1/4 x W. 10 x D. 9 1/4 in. (38.74 x 25.4 x 23.5 cm). Date: 15th-early 16th century. Museum: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA.

Ancestor Figure(Bulul)

Human-Headed Cat. Egypt, circa 945-664 BCE. Sculpture. Faience

Crouching Female Figure

Full-Standing Figure. Iran, no date. Sculpture. Bronze

Seated Figure. Mexico, Colima, Colima, 200 BCE-500 CE. Ceramics. Burnished ceramic with slip and incised decoration

Terracotta statuette of a woman ca. 1725-1450 B.C. Cypriot The figure is hollow, unlike others of its type. The elongated ovoid body is swollen in the middle and narrows toward its head and legs.. Terracotta statuette of a woman 241100

Standing Male Figure A.D. 100-400 Nayarit This imposing male figure stands with his legs apart, his right arm at his side, and his left arm raised in order to rest an implement on his shoulder. He wears a conical hat with an incised, or stamped, checkered basket-weave pattern, and with a band along the bottom edge. The checkered part of the hat is folded and wraps around to tie in the back. An appliqued red cord with two white shells crosses the crown of the hat and another red cord dangles from the back, where incised hair is visible. His face features a modeled brow and cheekbones, and his nose is adorned with a four-looped, appliqued nose ring. The mouth opens enough to reveal the incised white teeth separated by black lines, and the carved eyes show traces of white and black slip. The face and arms were painted in a rich ocher slip that suggests a natural skin color. In each ear, the figure wears eight to nine earrings, featuring appliqued tabs and disks. He is clothed in a long, c

Figure, early-to-mid 20th century, 9 1/4 x 2 11/16 x 2 1/4 in. (23.5 x 6.8 x 5.7 cm) (without mount), Wood, Democratic Republic of the Congo, 20th century, The triangular patterns on the hat and torso of this figure refer symbolically to the protective scales of the pangolin, a small African mammal. Pangolins are associated with the ancestors in Chokwe society because they burrow into termite mounds, considered thresholds between the world of spirits and humans.

Figure, 16thcentury, Terracotta, 12 × 5 3/4 × 4 in. (30.48 × 14.61 × 10.16cm), Country Chad, Country Cameroon, Sao, 16thcentury, Sculpture

Single-Spout Vessel in the Form of a Figure Holding a Jar. Tiwanaku-Wari; South coast Peru or northern Bolivia. Date: 600 AD-1000. Dimensions: 15.2 × 15.6 cm (6 × 6 1/8 in.). Ceramic and pigment. Origin: Bolivia. Museum: The Chicago Art Institute, Chicago, USA.

Seated Deity with Glyph C Headdress. Mexico, Oaxaca, Peche period, Zapotec, 500-600 CE. Ceramics. Ceramic

Standing female figure, 250 BCE - 300 CE, 3 x 1 3/4 x 7/8 in. (7.6 x 4.4 x 2.2 cm), Earthenware, Mexico, 3rd century BCE - 4th century CE

Standing Male Figure Holding a Plate. Colima; Colima, Mexico. Date: 100 AD-400 AD. Dimensions: H. 40 cm (15 3/4 in.). Ceramic and pigment. Origin: Colima state. Museum: The Chicago Art Institute, Chicago, USA.

Standing female figure, 200-700, 6 5/8 x 3 x 1 in. (16.8 x 7.6 x 2.5 cm), Earthenware, Mexico, 3rd-8th century

Ancestor Figure(Bulul)

Vessel in the shape of a woman carrying a churn. From Gilgat, Negev, over 6,500-5,500 years ago, made from pottery.

Stand of a funeral figure in the shape of a woman with a timbrel, anonymous, c. 220 - c. 589 Wooden pedestal from later date. China wood (plant material) painting Wooden pedestal from later date. China wood (plant material) painting

Ceramic Figure Vessel. Culture: Remojadas. Dimensions: H x W x D: 12 x 9 1/4 x 7 1/2in. (30.6 x 23.5 x 19.1cm). Date: 6th-9th century. Museum: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA.

Figure Aztec 15th-early 16th century View more. Figure. Aztec. 15th-early 16th century. Stone. Mexico, Mesoamerica. Stone-Sculpture

Standing Female Figure A.D. 100-400 Nayarit This female figure has a smoothly modeled face, perhaps a portrait. Emphasis was given to the brow area, and to the carved, black oval eyes, accentuated by black face paint and with a spot of white slip to mark each pupil. The mouth is open to reveal the individually carved white teeth, each also outlined in black. The nose is adorned with a nose ring consisting of seven appliqued loops. A series of parallel black zigzags representing face paint covers the lower part of the figures face. The hair is parted in the middle and bound around a turban, the ends wrapped with a decorative cord The figure wears seven appliqued earrings per ear, each with a black tab and white disk. A simple necklace is indicated by a thick double black band. A sienna-hued slip was used to indicate exposed parts of the body. The back of the figure is finished with delicately sculpted shoulder blades and hips. An inverted-triangle motif portraying either tattoos or bod

Seated Hunchbacked Dwarf 300 CE-400 CE Western Mexico. Ceramic and pigment . Colima

Vessel, 6th-8th century, 17 1/2 in. (44.5 cm), Clay, pigments, Peru, 6th-8th century, Moche leaders subjected their prisoners of war to public humiliation, torture, and often sacrifice. Typically in Moche art, captured enemies are shown in the nude. But the artist who created this vessel chose to emphasize the prisoners high status by depicting him in full regalia. In addition to his stoic expression, the figures headdress, nose ornament, ear spools and patterned tunic illuminate his status—and reinforce the significance of his defeat.

Pawian - Thot. unknown, author

Statuette (usual name), 1400. Covered sandstone. Cernuschi Museum, Asia Museum of Asia in the city of Paris.

Mexico, Anahuac, Teotihuacan, Anthropomorphic ceramic representation on display in the site Museum.

Figure of a Warrior in Leather Armor, 20th Century. China, Modern. Buff earthenware with traces of polychromy; overall: 32.4 cm (12 3/4 in.).

Figure of lion. Dimensions: h. 7.4 cm (2 15/16 in). Dynasty: Dynasty 12, late - 13 up to 1700. Date: ca. 1850-1700 B.C.. Museum: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA.

Head of a Goddess. Afghanistan, 1st century B.C.. Sculpture. Terracotta

Statuette of a Grotesque Male Figure. Unknown

Statuette (usual name), 1400. Covered sandstone. Cernuschi Museum, Asia Museum of Asia in the city of Paris.

Phoenician civilization - 3rd century b.C. - Votive head

Bhringi, anonymous, c. 1700 - c. 1800 The philosopher (rishi) bhringi with three legs; The third has been removed. India wood (plant material). dye The philosopher (rishi) bhringi with three legs; The third has been removed. India wood (plant material). dye

Limestone fragment of a lyre or throne ca. 3rd-1st century B.C. Cypriot The head of an eagle may have been part of the lyre in a very large statue of the god Apollo or, less probably, it may have embellished the throne of a seated figure.. Limestone fragment of a lyre or throne 242134

Figure with Sword, 4th-3rd Century BC. China, Eastern Zhou dynasty (771-256 BC), Warring States period (475-221 BC). Wood with traces of polychromy; overall: 49.5 cm (19 1/2 in.).

Figure 3rd millennium B.C. Valdivia The Valdivia figurine tradition represents the earliest known example of this form of artistic expression in the Americas. Initially produced from stone, these tiny statuettes have been interpreted as fertility figures, shamanic spirits, and mythical ancestors, although their precise meaning remains uncertain. Typically female, early stone figurines varied in form from simple engraved tablets to carefully carved miniature sculptures, like the one pictured here. This tiny figurine stands but 3.5 inches tall, and was probably made from a form of calcium carbonate. Most likely female, the figure's face is formed by a series of incised lines surrounded by a halo of straight, long hair. Her arms are indicated just barely and the faint impression of breasts is apparent. Her legs are formed by two vertical lines that flare slightly at the waist and feet. Although ceramic figurines eventually came to replace stone figures in Valdivian culture, many of the tr

Figure of a Musician with a Harp

Furniture support: female sphinx with Hathor-style curls. Culture: Old Assyrian Trading Colony. Dimensions: 5 x 1.5 in. (12.7 x 3.81 cm). Date: ca. 18th century B.C..This piece is one of a set of four furniture legs, probably found at the site of a palace at Acemhöyük in central Anatolia, carved in the shape of compact seated sphinxes without wings. They have large eyes with inlaid pupils, only one of which survives intact. Traces of gold foil remain on the hair and headdresses as well as eyes of some examples. The pink staining of this piece indicates that iron oxides are present on the surface, although it is not known whether this was a deliberate decorative treatment, or a result of contact with the soil in which the pieces were buried. Additionally, the overall gray color indicates that the object was exposed to considerable heat, perhaps during the destruction of the palace. Each sphinx wears a wig or hairstyle in which heavy locks of hair ending in large curls, held behind prot

Dogu, ceramic statue, Japan. Japanese Civilisation, Neolithic, Jomon period, 11th-4th century BC.

Ceramics depicting the stages of life (3rd c. AD). Death. Moche or Mochica Art. PERU. LAMBAYEQUE. Sipn. Royal Tombs of Sipn Museum.

Ceramic figurine of a seated woman. Nayarit, Mexico. 3rd century BC-3rd century AD. British Museum. Londres. GBR.

Figure Stirring a Cauldron. Egypt, 305 BCE - 641 CE. Sculpture. Terracotta

Ancient terracotta feline warrior head, from the Tiwanaku, the pre-Columbian archaeological site in western Bolivia. Dated 9th Century

Male figure. Taino culture. 15-16th cent.

Standing Figure 5th-1st century B.C. Esteros or Bahía The Bahía people occupied the coast of Manabí Province, where they continued the ceramic tradition of depicting human figures that had started 2,000 years earlier in the region. Their figures vary from hand-modeled to heavy mold-made examples and others that have mold-made faces and hand-modeled bodies. Some have colored and/or applied clothing and ornaments. Associated with the site of Los Esteros in central Manabí, this figure is highly stylized with a flat, sexless body and flipperlike arms. Its angular face has large, applied coffeebean eyes and a very prominent aquiline nose with a heavy nose ring.The meaning of such figures is unknown. One Los Esteros cache contained broken Bahía-style figurines apparently deliberately smashed. Clearly a votive offering of some sort, its intended purpose is conjectural.. Standing Figure 317725

Mingqi Dignitaire ". Dynastie Dynastie Dynastie Dynnia (206 Av. J.-C. Apr.) J.-C.). Park, Cernuschi. 157046-29 Asian art, Chinese art, Han dynasty, in the foot, East, Mingqi dignitaire, statue, statuette, wood

Figure Fragment, c. 900-400 BC. Mexico, Olmec, 1200-300 BC. Greenstone; overall: 27.7 x 13.4 x 5.5 cm (10 7/8 x 5 1/4 x 2 3/16 in.).

Figurka wotywna. unknown, author

Statuette of Harpocrates, 304-30 BC. Egypt, Greco-Roman Period, Ptolemaic Dynasty. Bronze, solid cast; overall: 18.6 x 5.7 x 10.5 cm (7 5/16 x 2 1/4 x 4 1/8 in.).

Figure. Culture: Chupicuaro. Dimensions: H. 3 3/16 in. (8 cm). Date: 3rd century B.C.-A.D. 4th century. Museum: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA.

Female Figure with Headdress, 400-799, 7 1/2 x 3 in. (19 x 7.62 cm), Earthenware, Mexico, 5th-8th century

AncestorFigure

Figurative ColumnFragment

Standing Male Figure

Pre-Columbian art. Pre-Incan. Jama-Coaque Culture. 500 BC-1531 AD. From Ecuador. 68 x 33 cm (diameter). Male figurine. Stye chone. Private collection.

Zoomorphic Stone Figure. Culture: Ecuador. Dimensions: H. 11 x W. 5 5/8 in. (27.9 x 14.3 cm). Date: 5th century B.C.-A.D. 13th century. Museum: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA.

Standing FemaleFigure. Artist: Unknown

Limestone statuette of a servant grinding grain. Dated 2181 BC

Reproduction of Standing Female Figure, 20th century, 11 in. (27.94 cm), Earthenware, Costa Rica, 20th century

Figure: Seated Male 16th century () Sapi-Portuguese. Figure: Seated Male 312351

Kneeling Female Figure 2nd-4th century Nayarit (Chinesco). Kneeling Female Figure 317813

Haniwa in the Form of a Shield, c. 500. Japan, Kofun period (c. AD 300-710). Earthenware with applied, cut, and incised designs and red slip; overall: 120 x 48.7 x 18 cm (47 1/4 x 19 3/16 x 7 1/16 in.).

Kneeling Male Figure (Onilé) Smoking aPipe

"Smiling" Figure 7th-8th century Remojadas Smiling figures (called sonrientes in Spanish) are one of the most intriguing examples of Mesoamerican ceramic artistry, part of a long-standing tradition of hollow ceramic figures produced in south-central Veracruz throughout the Precolumbian period. The animated expression that is responsible for their name is surprising in Mesoamerican art, where emotion of any kind is rarely depicted. Nude from the waist up, this sonriente wears a cap and skirt covered in geometric patterns, circular earspools, and a beaded necklace and bracelet. He raises his right hand as though in greeting and clutches a gourd rattle in his left. Musicians are depicted playing similar rattles in ceremonial scenes from both Veracruz and the Maya area. Thin red lines drawn below the eyes and the chin, and traces of the black tar paint often used in the region (see MMA 1978.412.59) on the chest represent body paint or tattooing. Additional traces of black paint on the skir

Marble statue of a crouching Aphrodite. Roman 1st or 2nd century A.D.

Head Fragment from a Large Ceremonial Jar. Tiwanaku-Wari; Pacheco, south coast, Peru. Date: 700 AD-800 AD. Dimensions: 11.1 × 12.7 cm (4 3/4 × 5 in.). Ceramic and pigment. Origin: Peru. Museum: The Chicago Art Institute, Chicago, USA.

Standing Female Figure 1200 BCE-600 BCE Central Mexico. Ceramic and pigment . Tlatilco

CigarSmoker. Artist: Unknown

Rasp

Vessel, c. 800, 19 3/4 x 14 1/4 x 15 in. (50.17 x 36.2 x 38.1 cm), Ceramic, Mexico, 8th-9th century, This unusually large vessel portrays a man with a hunched back, a common theme in ancient Mesoamerican art. Individuals with this characteristic had a privileged position in these societies, often serving as attendants to kings and chiefs. They were believed to have a special association with rain, clouds, the earth and caves. The warrior's helmet and earspools on this example illustrate this man's elevated status.

Figure with Slingshot

Anonymous, male character (username), 0025. Gray earth sometimes reddened in fire with traces of red earth. Cernuschi Museum, Asia Museum of Asia in the city of Paris. Sitting on the heels. Left hand relying on a sort of table on which a round basin is placed. A fish is distinguished on the table. Smiling face. Flat hairstyle.

Ancient art: female terracotta figurine, northern Syria, 2000 BC.

Seated human figure. Stone. Aztec culture. Late Postclassic Period (1250-1520 AD). Central Mexico. Museum of the Americas. Madrid, Spain.

Male Figure. Etruscan, 6th century B.C.. Sculpture. Bronze, cast

Torso or Upper Body with Hand to Mouth. Egypt, Late Period (724 - 333 BCE). Sculpture. Terracotta, black-glazed

Ceramic vessel, erotic art Virú culture 100BC-200AC Perú.

Female Figure

Figure of a child China. Figure of a child. China. Baked clay. Eastern Zhou dynasty (770-256 B.C.). Tomb Pottery

Sitting Woman. Northern Iran, possibly from the region of Rudbar, 1300-900 B.C.. Sculpture. Ceramic

Seated Figure

Pre-Columbian art. Pre-Incan. Tolita Culture (500-500 AD). From Ecuador. Ceramic figure. Museo del Banco central. Quito. Ecuador.

Cuchimilco (unglazed terracotta figurines). Female figure. Painted ceramic. Chancay culture, Late Intermediate period (1150-1450 AD). Peru. South America. Museum of the Americas. Madrid, Spain.

Pre-Columbian civilizations, Mexico, Teotihuacan culture, stone mask

France, Paris, Musee du Quai Branly museum, Sasak Ancestor Figure, Indonesia, 20th century

ESCULTURA ETRUSCA - BUSTO POLYVISCERAL - INTESTINO.

Seated Male Figure 2nd-4th century Nayarit (Chinesco). Seated Male Figure. Nayarit (Chinesco). 2nd-4th century. Ceramic. Mexico, Mesoamerica, Nayarit. Ceramics-Sculpture

Seated female figurine. Culture: Cypriot. Dimensions: H. 4 1/8 in. (10.5 cm). Date: ca. 600-480 B.C..The figurine is handmade and solid. The face was made from a worn mold. The figure is not fully seated, but is oriented obliquely, leaning backward. Museum: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA.

Figure: Male 18th-19th century Tabwa peoples This work is a pair with 1978.412.591.This elegant and refined couple from the Lake Tanganyika region of southeastern Democratic Republic of Congo depicts the respected ancestors of a Tabwa ruler. During the mid-nineteenth century, a group of elite Tabwa families who prospered through regional trade challenged traditional forms of governance and assumed control of regional leadership. These new Tabwa rulers looked to ancestry to legitimize their right to lead, invoking and, when necessary, inventing a chiefly lineage through sculptural representations of royal predecessors. A new genre of figural sculpture was developed to depict these chiefly ancestors. Passed down from one generation to the next, these works were visual representations of enduring dynastic power.The legitimacy of the chiefly family's rule depended upon its perceived superiority within the community, and ancestral sculptures such as this couple were intended to reinforce th

Female Dancer (Tomb Figurine). China. Date: 206 BC-75 BC. Dimensions: 16.7 × 11.5 × 9.6 cm (6 9/16 × 4 1/2 × 3 3/4 in.). Gray earthenware with slip coating and polychrome pigments. Origin: China. Museum: The Chicago Art Institute, Chicago, USA.

Ceramic Mother and Child Figure 12th-9th century B.C. Tlatilco. Ceramic Mother and Child Figure 317817

Head fragment Ptolemaic Period 332-30 BC In the area of Ptolemaic brick vaulted tombs in the Lower Assasif at Thebes were found many terracottas. They are only very roughly datable to this period. This head has a pointed beard and wears a large festival wreath around his cranium. The head shows traces of red and white paint. View more. Head fragment. 332-30 BC. Pottery, paint. Ptolemaic Period. From Egypt, Upper Egypt, Thebes, Asasif, foot of Hatshepsut Causeway, Lower Cemetery area (Birabi), MMA excavations, 1915-16

Nenfro statue of a winged lion ca. 550 B.C. Etruscan Several statues of this type, made from nenfro, a kind of volcanic stone used extensively at Vulci, depict winged lions and sphinxes. These were set up to protect the entrances to subterranean chamber tombs covered by a tumulus (earthen mound). They often appear in pairs and represent the Etruscan response to a long tradition of guardian figures stretching back to ancient Egypt and the Near East.. Nenfro statue of a winged lion. Etruscan. ca. 550 B.C.. Nenfro. Archaic. Stone Sculpture

Marble statue of female deity or mother goddess

ARTE AFRICANO. PRINCIPIOS S. XX. NIGERIA. FIGURA MASCULINA que REPRESENTA UN ESPIRITU DE LA NATURALEZA (EDJO) en forma de guerrero. Pueblo Urhobo. Museo de Arte Nelson-Atkins (The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art). Kansas City. Estado de Missouri. Estados Unidos.

Figure, 20th century, 11-1/4 x 4-1/8 x 4 in. (28.6 x 10.5 x 10.2 cm), Wood, Angola, 20th century

Male Figure 3rd century B.C.-A.D. 4th century Chupicuaro. Male Figure 313170

Polychrome terracotta statue depicting dancing priest wearing headdress from Bahia de Caraquez, 5th century B.C.-5th century A.D.

The Buddhist Goddess Hariti with Children. Pakistan, Swat Valley, Butkara I area, Gandhara region, circa 1st century B.C.. Sculpture. Gray phyllite

Figures, before 1921. Colombia, 18th-19th century. Red ware; overall: 21 x 17.2 cm (8 1/4 x 6 3/4 in.).

Mvwala Staff, Congo African Art Wood Koninklijk Museum voor Midden-Afrika, Tervuren, Belgium

Kneeling figure with hands behindhead. Artist: Unknown

Terracotta acroterial statue of Typhon the "Father of All Monster". From Gabii, 6th century BC. National Museum of Rome, Baths of Diocletian, Rome.

Ceramics depicting the stages of life (3rd c. AD). Childbirth. Moche or Mochica Art. PERU. LAMBAYEQUE. Sipn. Royal Tombs of Sipn Museum.

Statue of Bes. Roman period. 1st century AD. White marble. From Colonna, Latium. Barraco Museum. Rome.

MaleFigure

MaleBust

Statuette of a Lyre Player with a Companion; Unknown; Greece, Crete, Europe; 690 - 670 B.C.; Bronze; Object: H: 11.5 cm (4 1/2 in.)

Altar figure (onílé), possibly 1700s. Africa, West Africa, Nigeria, Yorùbá-style maker. Copper alloy; with base: 34.3 x 10.8 x 25.4 cm (13 1/2 x 4 1/4 x 10 in.); without base: 31.3 x 10.8 x 25.4 cm (12 5/16 x 4 1/4 x 10 in.).

Pottery torso Olmec, 1200-400 BC. This torso, has a headdress crowned with a crest of a raptorial bird, possibly a harpy eagle ( harpya). Birds of prey were considered solar creatures.

Wooden figure of a sea spirit, with head in the form of a shark, from the Solomon Islands. Artist: Unknown

Standing Figure. Culture: Chupicuaro. Dimensions: H. 15 7/8 x W. 7 1/2 in. (40.3 x 19.1 cm). Date: 3rd century B.C.-A.D. 1st century. Museum: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA.

Zemi (Idol) Urn Taino Culture Pre-Columbian Wood Santo Domingo, Garcia Arevado Foundation

Mayan architectural detail of a face, from a façade in calcified rock. Yucatan, Mexico 600-900 AD

Harpokrates ca. 712-30 B.C. Late Period-Ptolemaic Period. Harpokrates 571359

escultura antropomorfa, museo de la plaza central, Chichicastenango ,municipio del departamento de El Quiché, Guatemala, Central America.

Seated Male Figure. Culture: Aztec. Dimensions: Overall: 7 1/2 x 3 1/2 x 4 1/4 in. (19.05 x 8.89 x 10.8 cm)Other: 3 1/2 x 4 1/4 in. (8.89 x 10.8 cm). Date: 15th-early 16th century. Museum: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA.

Xochiquetzal, Aztec Goddess of love and beauty. Mexico, 1325-1521 AD. Sculpted from volcanic rock

Terracotta standing human figure ca. 1725-1450 B.C. Cypriot The figurine is handmade and solid. The figure has probably become detached from a vessel.. Terracotta standing human figure. Cypriot. ca. 1725-1450 B.C.. Terracotta; hand-made. Middle Cypriot III or Late Cypriot I. Terracottas

Marble female figure. Culture: Cycladic. Dimensions: H. 10 3/4 in. (27.3 cm). Date: 2300-2200 B.C..The remains of an ancient repair are of special interest. The head had broken from the long thin neck. A channel was cut into the sides of the neck and the head and then filled with lead. This technique was an established means of joining pieces in the first millennium B.C. The repair thus may be contemporary with the piece or date from more than one thousand years later. Museum: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA.

Zoomorphic or anthropomorphic Mayan figurine. From Palenque, Mexico 600-900 AD

Tadpole. "Portrait load of Alcide Touz (1809-1850), actor". Plaster on porcelain base. Paris, Carnavalet museum. 72100-21 French actor, plaster, portrait, porcelain base

Ancestor Pair 1st century B.C.-A.D. 3rd century Ixtlán del Río These large, hollow ceramic male and female figures, joined at the shoulders and hips, are thought to represent important ancestors of an ancient West Mexican community. The male is seated cross-legged, and wears a cape or mantle with a slip-painted pattern. His loincloth features an attached, scoop-shaped genital protector. He wears a conical hat with a zig-zag design and a lower fringe, and holds aloft a rattle or conch shell in his right hand. The female sits with legs extended and wears a full-length skirt with traces of an elaborate design. Her left arm is adorned with a band featuring five round elements and she holds small bowl up to her chest. Prominent nose and ear ornaments grace both figures. Some two thousand years ago, the inhabitants of communities in what is now the modern Mexican state of Nayarit buried their revered dead in in one-to-five meter deep shaft-and-chamber tombs in hilltop cemeteries. These tombs

Seated Male Shaman Figure, 20th century, 17-3/4 x 4-7/8 x 4-3/8 in. (45.1 x 12.4 x 11.1 cm), Wood, pigment, Democratic Republic of the Congo, 20th century

Footsoldier, one of a pair, 2nd century BCE, 18 1/2 x 6 5/8 x 6 1/4in. (47 x 16.8 x 15.9cm), Earthenware with traces of pigment, China, 2nd century BCE

Seated Figure, before 1921. Colombia. Red ware; overall: 23.2 x 15.3 cm (9 1/8 x 6 in.).

Mask 200 BCE-300 CE Mexico, Gulf of. Serpentine . Olmec

Ifugao culture sculptures, The anitos, (hipagi), Luzon Island, 19th century, wood, Anthropology National Museum, Madrid, Spain.

Rain Dragon. Anonymous. Japan, early 19th century. Costumes; Accessories. Wood with sumi

Jar, double ca. 1550-1295 B.C. New Kingdom. Jar, double. ca. 1550-1295 B.C.. Pottery, paint. New Kingdom. From Egypt, Upper Egypt, Thebes, Asasif, Temple of Hatshepsut, Carnarvon/Carter excavations. Dynasty 18

Vessel, 1930, 10 5/8 x 4 5/8 x 6 in. (26.99 x 11.75 x 15.24 cm), Terra cotta, Democratic Republic of the Congo, 20th century

Diosa de la fecundidad japonesa. Museo Etnológico de Barcelona.

Fragment of a partly unfinished limestone statuette of a silen ca. 330-30 B.C. Cypriot. Fragment of a partly unfinished limestone statuette of a silen 242324

'Stucco mask, Maya late classic'. Museum: MUSEO ARQUEOLOGICO, Mexico D. F., CIUDAD DE MEXICO.

Benin figure in Bronze; Nigeria; West Africa 1500-1700 AD

Maponus' a Celtic god associated with Apollo - head, 2nd century. Artist: Unknown

Amulet of the Goddess Sekhmet. Egyptian. Date: 1550 BC-664 BC. Dimensions: 5.2 × 1.4 × 1.6 cm (2 1/16 × 9/16 × 5/8 in.). Faience. Origin: Egypt. Museum: The Chicago Art Institute, Chicago, USA. Author: Ancient Egyptian.

Head and Torso of a Dancing Figure 401 CE-700 CE Japan. Haniwa (literally ìclay ringsî) were made as funerary sculptures for Japanese nobility. Unlike Chinese tomb figures, which were buried with the deceased in underground chambers, haniwa were placed on the surface of earthen grave mounds. Rows of haniwa, partially submerged in the soil for stability, outlined the sacred contours of a burial site or were set up at its front. This head and torso of a male figure appears to be dancing, perhaps a common event at funeral ceremonies.. Earthenware .

Marble female figure 3200-2800 B.C. Cycladic The figure wears a headdress; on later works, the headdress is painted rather than incised. The pairs of holes in the neck and right leg are ancient repairs from which the "clamp," of metal or another material, is missing.. Marble female figure. Cycladic. 3200-2800 B.C.. Marble. Early Cycladic I. Stone Sculpture

Standing Male Figure. Late Classic Maya, Jaina; Campeche or Yucatán, Mexico. Date: 650 AD-800 AD. Dimensions: H. 15.6 cm (6 1/8 in.). Ceramic and pigment. Origin: Campeche. Museum: The Chicago Art Institute, Chicago, USA.

Basalt figure of the Wind God Ehecatl Aztec, AD 1300-1521

Stone Age clay statue, 3ft high, 6000BC found in Amman.

ETTLE ". Bronze. Shang dynasty. Paris, Cernuschi museum. 157046-5 Asian art, Chinese art, bronze, shang dynasty, tip

anthropomorphic idol, 2600-2300 BC, ivory, Perdigoes, Reguengos de Monsaraz, Évora, Portugal, Huelva Museum, Huelva, Andalusia, Spain.

Netsuke of Fukurokujin with Tall Head and Two Children Climbing on It. Culture: Japan. Dimensions: H. 2 1/4 in. (5.7 cm); W. 5/8 in. (1.6 cm); D. 1 in.(2.5 cm). Date: 19th century. Museum: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA.

Statuette of a Boxer. Unknown

Female Figure 3rd century B.C.-A.D. 4th century Chupicuaro. Female Figure 313161

POSTE DE LA CASA DE LOS ANTEPASADOS-MELANESIA/ISLAS SALOMON-S XIX-MADERA-ARTE TRIBAL. Location: MENIL COLECCION. HOUSTON-TEXAS.

Cuchimilco. Male figure. Chancay. Peru. 1000-1450 DC. Museum of Cultures of the World. Spain.

ESTATUILLA ANTROPOMORFA EN TERRACOTA 500 A 1500 DC. Location: PRIVATE COLLECTION. QUITO. ECUADOR.

Head of a Bearded Man. Unknown

Terracotta figure of a grotesquely deformed and twisted man. Dated 1st Century BC

Funerary urn brought to Teotihuacan from Oaxaca, by Zapotec who settled in a barrio near city, National Museum of Anthropology, INAH, Mexico

Female Figure

Olmec Colossal Head, National Museum Museo Nacional de Antropologia, Mexico City, Mexico, Central America

Ceramic female figures from Ecuador. Dated 1st Century

Pre-Columbian Art. Inca. Chavin culture. Anthropomorphic ceramic. San Marcos Museum. Peru.

Biche of Balazote, detail. Iberian Culture. Androcephalous bull. End of the 6th century, early 5th century BC. Limestone. From Balazote (Albacete province, Castile-La Mancha, Spain). National Archaeological Museum. Madrid. Spain.

fine arts, Africa, Benin, sculpture, dwarf of Oba, bronze, classical period, 17th century, Museum od Ethnology, Vienna,

Mexico, Federal District, Mexico City, Museo Nacional de Antropologia Urn 100 BC-200 AD from Monte Alban.

Lima, Peru. Pre-Columbian artifacts and art in the Larco Museum, Lima, Peru.

Attic Red-Figure Dimidiated Rhyton. Unknown

Temple Period (3600 BC to 2500 BC). Malta. Headless seated statue depicting a woman with a voluminous body. National Museum of Archaeology. Valletta. Malta.

Kneeling Woman withChildren. Artist: Unknown

Isis nursing Horus on throne supported by striding lions. Dimensions: H. 2.7 × W. 0.8 × D. 1.6 cm (1 1/16 × 5/16 × 5/8 in.). Date: 664-30 B.C..This tiny amulet of Isis with the Horus child is intricately worked and dextrously undercut. The goddess sits on a throne with lions at either side, and uraei along its rear. Museum: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA.

Joined Figures, 200 BCE - 400 CE, 11 x 9 in. (27.9 x 22.9 cm), Clay, Mexico, 2nd century BCE - 5th century CE, Like their neighboring Nayarit and Colima cultures, the Jalisco had a tradition of sculpting male-female pairs. The exact nature of this couple's animated interaction is not certain but has been interpreted variously as singing, talking, or embracing. Their headdresses, earrings, nose ornaments, armbands, and the scarification on their cheeks are likely indicators of their elevated status in Jalisco society.

Spain, Madrid, Archeological Museum, Biche of Balazote

Stone statue of seated Mother Goddess, from the Temple of Hagar Qim

Female Figure with Incised Features and Triangular Head 100 BCE-300 CE Nayarit state. Ceramic and pigment . Nayarit

Aquilla, Warrior () 7th-10th century Tiwanaku. Aquilla, Warrior () 315427

France, Paris, Musee du Quai Branly museum, Hampatong figure, Borneo, Indonesia, 20th century

Two figures in a scene of childbirth ca. 600-480 B.C. Cypriot Both figures are handmade and solid. The face of the larger figure was made in a worn mold, and is flat and rough. One female figure holds another, supporting her in childbirth.. Two figures in a scene of childbirth 240996

Joined Couple

Mayan Atlante (Caryatid figure) from Chichen Itza, limestone, ancient post-classic era (900 - 1250 CE),

Male figure (nkisi nkondi), late 1800s-early 1900s. Democratic Republic of Congo or Cabinda (Angola), Kongo artist and nganga (priest). Wood, metalized glass, iron, organic material, ivory or plastic, and natural fiber; overall: 46 x 25.7 x 19.2 cm (18 1/8 x 10 1/8 x 7 9/16 in.).

Unesco World Heritage Site Monte Alban, Oaxaca, Mexico, Central America, Ancient statue of a man with detailed headdress on a pedestal against a grey background, Mitla, Central America

Mayan incense burner representing the god of the Sun in the underworld. Ceramic from Tacotalpa, Tabasco, Mexico 600-900 AD

Mayan ceramic tripod vase with seated figure inside; ; Classical period in the Teotihuacan style 250-600 AD. Becan, Campeche, Mexico

Mexico, Chiapas, Palenque. Mayan plaster mask; Palenque Ruins Museum (Editorial Usage Only)

Wooden model of grinding grain. 1st Intermediate Period-Middle Kingdom. Dynasty XI-XII (c. 2050-1947). Tomb of Shemes. From Asyut. Egyptian Museum of Turin. Italy.

Old Maid of the Village Switzerland Folk Art Artist Unknown

Mesoamerica. Male figure. Veracruz. Gulf of Mexico. 300-900 BC. Mexico. Museum of Cutures of the World. Barcelona. Spain.

Figure of Harpy 12th-early 13th century The harpy, or fantastic human-headed bird, was a common motif in many parts of the Muslim world. In Iran it was adapted in the twelfth century as a motif on wares in a variety of media. This example is unusual for its large size.. Figure of Harpy. 12th-early 13th century. Stonepaste; luster-painted on opaque white glaze, molded and applied decoration. Made in Iran. Ceramics

Zaō Gongen, 1100s. Japan, Heian period (794-1185). Gilt bronze with repoussé and incised details; overall: 25.8 x 17.8 cm (10 3/16 x 7 in.).

ESCULTURA ANTROPOMORFA TOLTECA. Location: MUSEO NACIONAL DE ANTROPOLOGIA. MEXICO CITY. CIUDAD DE MEXICO.

Romanesque art in the National Art Museum of Catalonia,Barcrelona,bases of the Ripoll baldachin (XII century AC).Santa Maria in Ripoll monastery.

Female Figure 500 BCE-300 BCE Chupícuaro. Ceramic and pigment . Chupícuaro

Lowest Lame of Long Tasset. Southern German, Innsbruck(). Date: 1500-1600. Dimensions: . Steel. Origin: Germany. Museum: The Chicago Art Institute, Chicago, USA.

FemaleFigure

Figure of Fertility Goddess ca. 2700-2000 B.C. Baluchistan. Figure of Fertility Goddess. Baluchistan. ca. 2700-2000 B.C.. Terracotta. Ceramics

Standing Ceramic Female Figure late 3rd millennium B.C. Valdivia. Standing Ceramic Female Figure 317702

Pre-Columbian artifacts and art in the Larco Museum, Lima, Peru, South America

Jade statue of Quetzalcoatl, Aztec 1350-1521. Artist: Unknown

Terracotta gladiator, 1st century BC National Archaeological Museum, Taranto, Apulia, Taranto, Apulia, Italy, Europe

Etruscan bronze statue of seated child, from Tarquinia, Latium region, Italy, 3rd-2nd Century B.C.

Scribes from Meketre's Model Granary. Dimensions: H. of right-hand figure: 15.5 cm (6 1/8 in.). Dynasty: Dynasty 12. Reign: early reign of Amenemhat I. Date: ca. 1981-1975 B.C.. Museum: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA.

Seated Zenki, 1400s. Japan, Muromachi period (1392-1573). Wood with pigment; overall: 30.5 cm (12 in.).

Two Ceramic Figures Seated on a Bench. Culture: Remojadas. Dimensions: H. 8 13/16 x W. 6 7/8 x D. 4 in. (22.5 x 17.5 x 10.2 cm). Date: 6th-9th century. Museum: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA.

Mexico.Mexico city.National Museum of Antropology.Olmec culture. Monumental stone head.

Pottery figure of a woman holding a dog, Nayarit culture, Mexico 300 BC-AD 300.

Female Figure 12th-10th century B.C. Tlatilco This solid, hand-modeled ceramic figurine is tan in color and painted with a red pigment. No buttocks are indicated, but the upper thighs swell noticeably on the back of the figure. The hairdo and headband continue to the back of the head, but no anatomical differentiation is offered. Sculpted some three millennia ago in the Valley of Mexico, this figurine belongs to a group of ceramic effigies known collectively as the Tlatilco "pretty ladies." Depicting females with large heads, small waists, and prominent hips, these handheld sculptures present a fairly standardized body type and are typically fired to red, buff, or brown tones. As the popular embodiments of an ideal feminine form, the Tlatilco "pretty ladies" are part of a centuries-long tradition in which eccentricities and religious imagery predominate. Featuring hunchbacks, dwarfs, contorted acrobats, two-headed women, and conjoined twins, the corpus of Tlatilco figurines encompasses

ARTE PRECOLOMBINO. OLMECA. OLMECAS. Cultura desarrollada por los antiguos pueblos mexicanos de Tabasco y parte meridional de Veracruz (h.200-h.100 a.C.). CABEZA COLOSAL Nº 6, realizada en basalto. Procede de San Lorenzo. Veracruz. Actualmente se encuentra en el Museo Nacional de Antropología. Sala del Golfo de México. México D.F.

Bronze man and centaur. Culture: Greek. Dimensions: H. 4 3/8 in. (11.10 cm). Date: mid-8th century B.C..Half man, half horse, the centaurs were thought to inhabit remote wooded areas. In much of Greek art, they appear in combat with humans and, by implication, are the antithesis of civilized men. The classic rendering of this subject can be seen in the metopes of the Parthenon in Athens. It is, however, already fully presented in this bronze statuette. The outcome of the conflict is indicated by the end of the spear preserved in the centaur's left flank and by the greater height of the man. Museum: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA.

Winged Beast (Tomb Figure). China. Date: 200 BC-101 BC. Dimensions: 22.2 × 43.8 cm (14 7/8 × 27 1/2 in.). Gray earthenware, slip-coated with polychrome pigments. Origin: China. Museum: The Chicago Art Institute, Chicago, USA.

Lion. "Three -colored" glaze porcelain. Paris, Cernuschi museum. 78842-26 Asian art, ancient ceramic, covered, email, glacure, Chinese pottery, terracotta emaillee, animal, nature

Archaeological Museum, Lipari Town, Lipari, Lipari Islands, Aeolian Islands, Sicily, Italy, Europe

Human Protom ". Bronze. Shang dynasty (1765 - 1122 BC), China. Paris, Muse Cernuschi. Protom tte humaine Asian art, Chinese art, art of extreme-East, bronze, Shang dynasty, prehistoric time, Shang time, prehistory, protomed, human head

Africa, Ghana, Accra. National Museum, regarded as one of the finest museums in sub-Saharan Africa. Plaster reproduction of metal face.

Willlendorf Venus. 25,000 BC. Austria.

Benin figure in Bronze; Nigeria; West Africa 1500-1700 AD

Figure of Fertility Goddess Baluchistan ca. 2700-3000 BCE View more. Figure of Fertility Goddess. Baluchistan. ca. 2700-3000 BCE. Terracotta. Ceramics

Seated Figure, 100 BCE - 250 CE, 7 9/16 x 7 15/16 x 4 5/16 in. (19.21 x 20.16 x 10.95 cm), Ceramic, pigment, Mexico, 1st century BCE - 3rd century CE

PAREJA DE ANTEPASADOS-COSTA DE MARFIL-TRIBU BAULE-MADERA-. Location: METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART. NEW YORK CITY.

Karako (Chinese Child) with drum. Culture: Japan. Dimensions: H. 4 in. (10.2 cm); W. 5 in. (12.7 cm). Date: 17th-18th century. Museum: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA.

Funerary Urn with Deity. Culture: Monte Alban. Dimensions: H. 18 3/4 in. (47.6 cm). Date: ca. 6th century.Ceramic urns were often deposited as funerary offerings at the site of Monte Alban in the southern Mexican state of Oaxaca. The vessels are typically cylindrical and decorated on one side with an applied anthropomorphic figure modeled in clay. The figures often display elaborate headdresses, masks, and distinctive clothing, symbols, or hieroglyphs. Many of the urns have masks with serpent fangs on the lower face and maize vegetation in the headdress that link them to a group of Oaxacan deities. The incised swirling lines around this figure's eyes might represent tattoos or scarification, both common in ancient Mesoamerica.-----Additional ReadingEasby, Elizabeth Kennedy, and John F. Scott1970 Before Cortes: Sculpture of Middle America. New York, The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Cat. 157. Museum: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA.

Female figure, early 20th century, 51 1/2 x 5 1/4 in. (130.8 x 13.3 cm), Wood, Gabon, 19th century

GUERRERO DESNUDO - COLLADO DE LOS JARDINES - SANTA ELENA (JAEN) - ARTE IBERICO. Location: MUSEO ARQUEOLOGICO NACIONAL-COLECCION. MADRID. SPAIN.

Fragment of a Queen's Face ca. 1353-1336 B.C. New Kingdom, Amarna Period This striking fragment is from a statue composed of different materials. The back of the piece shows remains of the mortise that fitted onto a tenon extending from the statue's body which may have been made of Egyptian alabaster to represent a white garment. Two headdresses might have fit this head: the khat-headdress, or the Nubian wig (as seen on the canopic jar lid, 30.8.54, in the same gallery).The royal woman represented here cannot be identified with certainty. It is difficult to imagine that the already aged Queen Tiyethe mother of Akhenaten and highly respected as a wise woman at Amarnawas shown as a beauty of such sensuous character. Queens Nefertiti and Kiya, however, are both possible subjects.Link to the Artist ProjectBarry X Ball on an Egyptian fragment of a queen’s face Listen to experts illuminate this artwork's story Listen Play or pause #809. Kids: Fragment of a Queen's Face, Part 1 Play or paus

estatua funeraria, Imperio Medio de Egipto, XI dinastia, 2000 a. C., madera de ebano policromada, Fundación Calouste Gulbenkian, («Fundaçío Calouste Gulbenkian»), Lisboa, Portugal.

fine arts, ancient world, Egypt, sculpture, ibis, wood and stucco, 4th century BC, State Collection of Egyptian Art, Munich,

Chile, Easter Island (aka Rapa Nui). Hanga Roa, stone Moai head, close-up.

Italic civilizations, Piceni, 6th century b.C. The Warrior of Capestrano, limestone sculpture from the necropolis of ancient Aufinum. Height 2.09 m. Detail.

Ceramic Huaco portrait representing an elite figure from Peru. Dated 6th Century

fine arts, Mesoamerica, Colima, sculpture, mask, green stone, Mexico, 2nd century BC, private collection,

Paul Robeson. Jacob Epstein (1880-1959). Bronze with a brown patina. Conceived in 1928. 34.5cm high.