TLATILCO FIGURE OF A DANCER, TYPE DK EARLY PRECLASSIC, CIRCA 1200-900 BC

The tall figure of a masked dancer is adorned with the ceremonial attire befitting a large village festival. Wearing a naturalistic mask made for dancing, it shows wide oval eye areas, pierced nostrils and parted lips. The figure dances with both palms straight forward; the wide set legs adorned with large shell or seed pod rattles attached to low-slung leggings. Ear flares hang at each cheek and long tresses fall to the shoulders. See Coe, The Jaguar's Children, New York, 1965, fig. 147, for a companion figure from the Jay C. Leff collection.