Veracruz Terracotta Sculpture of a Man

This charming fellow from Veracruz seems particularly proud of his costume. He wears and elaborate headdress decorated with an interwoven mat motif highlighted with red paint. The motif is echoed in his skirt as well. With arms held out to his sides, he holds up the edges of his costume so that we can see it better and grins as if to ask, “Well? What do you think?” A pair of disk-shaped earrings and a necklace reminiscent of a phallus completes his ornamentation. Remnants of paint are visible throughout from the red touches on his headdress and skirt to the light green hue visible on his earrings and necklace. Perhaps this signifies that the material of his jewelry was jade. Clearly a man dressed in such a luxurious costume would have been able to afford such precious items. Today, this sculpture has become a treasure itself, prized equally for its fascinating history as well as its sculptural beauty. – (PF.0398)