Skip Navigation

Standing Figure

Arts of the Americas

These eight figurines were found inside a ceramic vessel near Sanders, Arizona, but the context of the discovery site is unknown. Their facial features, thin arms, and angular postures point to a Mimbres origin. Similar stone figurines have been discovered in the region in a variety of archaeological contexts, including a burial, a domestic room, and a trash mound. The open mouths suggest some form of communication, and the objects’ small size indicates personal use, but questions remain: Were the objects used for rituals or burial offerings, or as treasured possessions? Were they discarded after one use?


Estas ocho figurillas fueron encontradas dentro de una vasija cerámica cerca de Sanders, Arizona, pero el contexto del sitio es desconocido. Sus rasgos faciales, brazos delgados, y posturas angulares apuntan a origen Mimbres. Figurillas de piedra similares han sido descubiertas en la región en un variado contexto arqueológico, incluyendo un entierro, un cuarto doméstico, y un basural. Las bocas abiertas sugieren algún tipo de forma de comunicación, y el tamaño pequeño del objeto indica uso personal, pero quedan preguntas sin respuesta: ¿Eran estos objetos utilizados en rituales, como ofrendas en entierros, o como preciadas posesiones? ¿Eran desechados después de un solo uso?
MEDIUM Stone (volcanic tuff), pigment
DATES 1100-1000 B.C.E.
DIMENSIONS 3 x 1 3/4 x 3/4 in. (7.6 x 4.4 x 1.9 cm)  (show scale)
COLLECTIONS Arts of the Americas
ACCESSION NUMBER 03.325.4527
CREDIT LINE Museum Expedition 1903, Museum Collection Fund
CATALOGUE DESCRIPTION Carved stone figurine with an open mouth and closed eyes. One of his arms is held across his chest and the other is across the chest and touching his shoulder. His head has a serrated edge as if wearing a headdress. See also 03.325.4528- 34. These figures were all found together inside a painted pot. They were purchased from the German trader, Cronmeyer.
MUSEUM LOCATION This item is not on view
CAPTION Possibly Mimbres. Standing Figure, 1100-1000 B.C.E. Stone (volcanic tuff), pigment, 3 x 1 3/4 x 3/4 in. (7.6 x 4.4 x 1.9 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Museum Expedition 1903, Museum Collection Fund, 03.325.4527. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: , 03.325.4527_03.325.4528_03.325.4529_03.325.4530_03.325.4531_SL3.jpg)
IMAGE group, 03.325.4527_03.325.4528_03.325.4529_03.325.4530_03.325.4531_SL3.jpg.
"CUR" at the beginning of an image file name means that the image was created by a curatorial staff member. These study images may be digital point-and-shoot photographs, when we don\'t yet have high-quality studio photography, or they may be scans of older negatives, slides, or photographic prints, providing historical documentation of the object.
RIGHTS STATEMENT Creative Commons-BY
You may download and use Brooklyn Museum images of this three-dimensional work in accordance with a Creative Commons license. Fair use, as understood under the United States Copyright Act, may also apply. Please include caption information from this page and credit the Brooklyn Museum. If you need a high resolution file, please fill out our online application form (charges apply). For further information about copyright, we recommend resources at the United States Library of Congress, Cornell University, Copyright and Cultural Institutions: Guidelines for U.S. Libraries, Archives, and Museums, and Copyright Watch. For more information about the Museum's rights project, including how rights types are assigned, please see our blog posts on copyright. If you have any information regarding this work and rights to it, please contact copyright@brooklynmuseum.org.
RECORD COMPLETENESS
Not every record you will find here is complete. More information is available for some works than for others, and some entries have been updated more recently. Records are frequently reviewed and revised, and we welcome any additional information you might have.