Terra cotta (?) Mexican figurines

Discussion in 'Tribal Art' started by Aztek721, Nov 16, 2019.

  1. Aztek721

    Aztek721 Member

    SO...random question time again. I still work at a thrift store. These were donated, so assuming not real antique, probably mass produced in Mexico for the tourist trade. (My guess is 70s...)

    Any info at all would be appreciated, even if it's just random 70s, 80's date range. They are a bit bigger than a soda can for size reference.

    Thanks!
     

    Attached Files:

    scoutshouse and Any Jewelry like this.
  2. Any Jewelry

    Any Jewelry Well-Known Member

    They are really nice, but as you thought not antique, and yes, terracotta. These were handmade in Mexico, using a mold for the face of the figure on the right. The rest is individually handcrafted.
    My mother bought similar figurines in Teotihuacan in the early 70s.

    [​IMG]
     
  3. 2manybooks

    2manybooks Well-Known Member

    Yep, "probably mass produced in Mexico for the tourist trade". Could be pretty much any time in the 20th century. I got some similar figures during a family visit to Teotihuacan in the 60s.
     
  4. Any Jewelry

    Any Jewelry Well-Known Member

    So two hits for Teotihuacan.:)
     
  5. J Dagger

    J Dagger Well-Known Member

    I’ve found a semi similar figure at a thrift store and had the same assumption that it was a Vintage Mexican tourist piece. Mine was lighter clay and had a little more color. I also found a more interesting terra-cotta piece that could be Mexican at a thrift store a year or so ago. It could be Costa Rican as that’s where all the pre-Colombian examples I found were from. It could be from somewhere else in the Central/Southern American area too. It’s a very cool crocodile/alligator/cayman shaped whistle/ocarina I believe. Don’t mean to hijack your thread but it seems pretty solved so figured I would show mine here :). I assume it’s a newer piece but really don’t know when it was made. Maybe it’s a perfectly preserved 900 year old example left at Savers just for me.

    F379194B-99EC-4454-921E-06F7211F9306.jpeg 99AF8A33-20F3-4CA7-8983-3F8E644BEB7E.jpeg AFB2D8D1-CF84-4B94-A319-3963699CEAEE.jpeg 7598BA36-C4E0-4906-8462-58D3CD6808A5.jpeg
     
    moreotherstuff likes this.
  6. Aztek721

    Aztek721 Member

    That is awesome!
     
  7. J Dagger

    J Dagger Well-Known Member

    Thanks! Glad someone else thinks so too! It’s one of those things that no matter how new its a whole lot of cool for $2-$3 or whatever it was.
     
  8. Any Jewelry

    Any Jewelry Well-Known Member

    It is very cute, J, whatever it is.:)
    Or a perfectly preserved 150 million year old baby stegosaurus.:playful:
     
    Figtree3 and J Dagger like this.
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