Seated Olmec Figure (1500-200 BCE)

This seated anthropomorphic ceramic figure, 8.5 cm high (3.3 inches), is catalogued as a probable Olmec figurine. Hand-modelled and once finished with polychrome paint, it presents a compact human form in a seated pose. Small clay figures of this kind belong to the broader tradition of portable ceramic sculpture produced along the Gulf Coast between roughly 1500 BCE and the early centuries of the Common Era.

Acquired in 1974 from the Veracruz Coast

The figure was collected at Boca del Río (“tierra blanca”), near Veracruz, Mexico, by Henry Wassén (1908–1996), director of the Ethnographic Museum in Gothenburg. It entered the museum collections in September 1974. The original catalogue note, citing Ignacio Bernal, locates the Olmec culture in the region south of Veracruz and north of Tabasco, from about 1500 BCE to the beginning of the Common Era. It suggests the figure may date to the Formative or Preclassic period, conventionally ending around 200 BCE, while noting that the later phase sometimes called Olmec III extended to about 200 CE.

Clay Figures in Formative Gulf Coast Culture

Seated ceramic figures are common across Formative-period sites on the Gulf Coast and in neighbouring regions. They were typically produced in local workshops and depict humans in simple poses. Without a secure archaeological context the exact function of any single example remains uncertain, but such figurines are generally linked to domestic or community practices, possible ritual offerings, or representations of people and supernatural beings.

The original polychrome surface, now largely worn, would once have given the figure greater visual presence. The compact seated form is characteristic of many Gulf Coast ceramics of the period.

Ceramic Material and Dimensions

The figure is made of ceramic and is described as polychrome anthropomorphic. It measures 8.5 cm in height (3.3 inches) and 4.3 cm in width (1.7 inches), and weighs 92.81 grams (about 3.3 ounces). It was hand-modelled rather than mould-made, the usual technique for small Olmec and Formative figurines. Traces of old paint and surface deposits remain.

From Boca del Río to the National Museums of World Culture

The documented place of collection is Boca del Río near Veracruz. Henry Wassén brought the piece into the Ethnographic Museum in 1974. It now belongs to the National Museums of World Culture (Världskulturmuseerna) and is recorded in the Carlotta database. A 3D model published by the museums on Sketchfab makes the object accessible beyond the physical display.

Surface Condition and Conservation

Partial sediment deposits cover parts of the surface, and a stain on the back is probably the remnant of an old label. The left arm shows an earlier repair with a yellow colour that does not appear original. In September 2000 the figure was conserved: wax was removed mechanically with a scalpel and bamboo stick, and concentrated ethanol was applied with cotton swabs. The treatment was completed the same month. The piece is stable for exhibition, though the remaining paint and surface are delicate.