Teotihuacan Ceramic Head Fragment

This intriguing head fragment was once attached to a bust or full effigy figurine crafted in 400 A.D. Mesoamerica. Earthenware figurines were made in great abundance throughout Teotihuacan's history. After 250 A.D. objects made from clay increased dramatically, serving a wide variety of purposes and functions from religious rituals to burial offerings.

Figurines like this commemorated important people and events within the city of Teotihuacan and other parts of Mesoamerica, portraying individuals of different rank and status such as soldiers, merchants, bureaucrats, and occasionally divinities. This figure is adorned with an elaborate coiffure or headdress and ear spools which were worn to show wealth and status. The facial features are left intact with stunning detail, revealing an expressive smile. Traces of orange pigment indicate that this was once brightly painted with slip.