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© Museum Associates 2026
Collections

Elite Woman Figurine-Whistle600–900 CE

On view:
Geffen Galleries
Buff-tan ceramic sculpture of a seated cross-legged figure wearing a poncho-like garment, beaded necklace, wrist cuffs, and tall rectangular headdress

Unknown, Whistle in the Form of Female Figure, 600–900 CE, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Gift of Constance McCormick Fearing, photo © Museum Associates/LACMA

Title
Elite Woman Figurine-Whistle
Culture
Maya
Place Made
Mexico, Yucatan Peninsula, Campeche, Jaina Island
Date Made
600–900 CE
Medium
Earthenware with postfire pigment
Dimensions
8 3/4 × 4 3/4 × 3 in. (22.23 × 12.07 × 7.62 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of Constance McCormick Fearing
Accession Number
M.86.311.32
Classification
Ceramics
Collecting Area
Art of the Ancient Americas
Curatorial Notes

A woman sitting cross-legged, finely modeled in clay, wears a huipil (blouse) that hangs off her shoulders. Her jade jewelry indicates her elite status: a pair of earflares, a set of beaded cuffs, and a necklace composed of long tubular beads. She belongs to the famed tradition of Jaina-style figurines and whistles, named for the island off the coast of Campeche, where many similar examples have been found, often in royal tombs. These figurines, which depict noble personages and members of royal courts, illuminate the standards of elite dress in Classic Maya society.

Alyce de Carteret

2024

Selected Bibliography

  • Selections from the Pre-Columbian Collection of Constance McCormick Fearing. Santa Barbara: Santa Barbara Museum of Art, 1967.