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Figure

Culture Maya
Title Figure
Date 700–800
Medium Clay with pigment
Dimensions Mount: 1/2 × 3 × 2 1/8 in. (1.3 × 7.6 × 5.4 cm)
Object: 7 3/4 × 2 1/2 × 2 1/4 in. (19.7 × 6.4 × 5.7 cm)
Overall (includes mount): 8 1/4 × 3 × 2 1/8 in. (21 × 7.6 × 5.4 cm)
Credit Line Evan F. Lilly Memorial, Eskenazi Museum of Art, Indiana University
Accession Number 72.48

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About this Work

Jaina Island is known for the figurines and other art objects that have been discovered there. While some recent scholars have suggested that the archaeological record has been distorted over time, many believe that the island itself was used as a burial place for the Maya culture.

As many hundreds of figurines have been discovered on Jaina it seems likely that they were manufactured nearby. Mostly made with molds, some were made at least in part by hand with the occasional human fingerprint visible. As can be seen by the traces of pigment which remain on this figure, many of the Jaina figurines were painted with blue, white, and yellow pigments.


Provenance research is ongoing for this and many other items in the Eskenazi Museum of Art permanent collection. For more information about the provenance of this artwork, please contact the department curator with specific questions.

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Cite this Page
"Figure | Collections Online." Collections Online. Sidney and Lois Eskenazi Museum of Art, Indiana University, 2025. https://artmuseum.indiana.edu/collections-online/browse/object.php?number=72.48