Terracotta Seated Male figure, 300 BCE - 300 CE
Terracotta
20.5
PF.3229
Further images
This very handsome male is seated with his right foot resting on the left heel in a comfortable lotus position. His arms, bent at the elbows, are placed on the...
This very handsome male is seated with his right foot resting on the left heel in a comfortable lotus position. His arms, bent at the elbows, are placed on the thighs with fingers slightly splayed. Bold black lines encircle the upper arms, wrists, neck and legs in the form of bracelets. His face is very pensive and quite beautiful. Double wavy lines on both cheeks are used in similar figures to suggest water or flood. The ornamentation is simple and direct, with the exception of the unusual design above the belly button, which probably has a ritualistic meaning. In this same sense the hands are like claws of a jaguar, and may represent some sort of glove worn by members of a jaguar cult. There is a sense that this male is bound in some way, but metaphorically more than physical. He is proud and strong, lost in a world of his own, which we are privileged to share through an artist's exceptional talent.
Literature
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