An important status for females came with reaching child-bearing age. Many figures of nude women have swollen bellies, are seated or kneeling, and appear to be moaning, as if in the act of giving birth. They frequently are painted or incised around the hips to emphasize fertility. It is uncertain whether this decoration is symbolic or represents actual painting or tattooing. The majority of small solid figurines are obviously female and share many of the large figures’ symbols of fertility. Some bed figures of women in the throes of difficult childbirth are accompanied by howling dogs. Ceramic dog figures appear in some tombs, so this may reveal a connection between birth and death in the West Mexican belief system.

Context Lost | Original Context | Social Context | Wider Context | Context Found
Image Gallery | Curator | Bibliography | Credits | Links