On View
On viewObject number2002.14
Smiling Figure
Artist
Mexican, Unknown Artist
(Mexican)
Date550-950
Mediumceramic
DimensionsOverall: 9 1/2 × 4 1/2 × 2 1/2 in. (24.1 × 11.4 × 6.4 cm)
Credit LineGift of Mary Meader
Exhibition History"Lasting Legacy: A Collection for Kalamazoo," Kalamazoo Institute of Arts, Kalamazoo, Michigan (Sep. 6, 2014 - Jan. 4, 2015).
"Unveiling American Genius," KIA Permanent Collection Exhibition, Traditional, Markin, Nay and Groos Galleries (March 1, 2021 - December 31, 2023).Label TextNo one knows the reason for the large smile on this clay figure. Many Smiling Figures have been uncovered in graves and deposits of ceremonial objects. Some scholars speculate the figures are associated with Xochipilli, the Aztec god of dance, music, and joy. A more ominous interpretation is that they represent ceremonial sacrificial victims, their smiles the result of drug-induced euphoria. Whatever their purpose, we can
be sure Smiling Figures are connected with the religious
beliefs that were central to Mesoamerican culture.
Smiling Figures only have details on the front. The edge where the mold-made front is joined to the plain back of the figure is visible along its side. Small balls of clay were added separately to create the rattle necklace around the figure’s neck.
