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174
Susanna
M.
Ekholm
covered.
During
excavation most o{ the figurine fragments
could be
separated
from
the
mass
of
potsherds,
and these have been
partially
processed
in
the
laboratory.
Almost
all
the
figurines
from this refuse
situation
were unfortunately found
headless
or
bodiless;
complete
figurines
have
not
yet
been reconstructed,
and
so the descriptions
here
will
be
preliminary.
The richness
of
the collection, however
is
abeady
apparent.
The importance
of
the figurine collection from
Lagartero
lies in its
size
iover
five hundred figurines
represented),
the large number of each
variety
of
figuring
their fair preservatioq
and some
unusual
charuc-
teristics
such as their costume. The
great
majoity,
a specific
mafor
complex,
provide
us with a new focus
of
Maya figurine art, a style
previously
unrecognized. The
homogeneity
of
this
coilection
cor-
responds
to the extraordinary
homogeneity
of the
pottery
vessel col-
lection
(this
is especially notable
in
the
polychrome
pottery)
and
gives
us
a
glimpse
of Maya ceremonial equipment at one
point
il Maya
his-
tory
on the
southwest
ontier.
f
run FrcuRrNEs
In
general,
the
mafor Lagartero
ffgurine
complex
lIigs.
10-2-10-4)
fits
within
the traditions of the Late Classic Maya mold-made figurines.
The
figurjnes
share
traits with
both
Maya
Lowland and
Highland ex-
amples. They have
the stepped
haircut,
the
tall
conical
hats, the
plumed
and
effigy
headdresses,
etc. Most of the heads
probably
fall
within Butler's
(1935)
Y
type,
although
we know
that
that
general
type
is
not
at
all crude and
unrealistic,
as
she
characterizes
it.
How-
evert at
Lagartero we
have
a
local style,
a
particular
combination of
traits that
does
not
occur in other areas/
plus
traits
speciflc
to Lagar-
tero.
Most
o{ the mold-mde human figurines
from
Lagartero fail
within
what one can
probably
call
one
type
of Maya
figurine
with
difierences
on a varietal levef if I may
borrow terms
from
the classificatory sys-
tem
for
Lowland
Maya ceramics. The
persons
shown
all
seem
to be
dignitaries of some kind. Thee are no
graceful
dancers
such as are
found
in
AkaYerapaz.
Poses
are
usually
rigid
and
formal.
The mold-
made
pendants
lFig.
10-5J, included here with
the
figurines, consis-
tently
show
what
are
probably
shamans and
deity
representations.
Certin
other
characteristics
of the
mold-made
figurines are espe-
cially
outstanding.
About
60
percent
of the bodies
are female.
These
are
not women
shown in
genre
attitudes,
but
elegant,
obviously
elite
or
priestly
individuals
in
highly stylized
and
presumably
meaningful
formal
poses.
The heads,
which
we have
not
yer
ff.tted
to the
bodieb,
seem
generally
masculine in
aspect,
but the
faces
of female figurines
in
Maya art
usualiy
difier
little
from
those
of the
males, and
I
am
hopeful
that
the heads
and bodies
will be
oiaed
together.
Unlike
the
mold-made figurines
from
most
Maya
areas,
only a
very
smali
percentage
o{ the
Lagaftero
figurines
are
whistles
(Iig.
10-3d);
so
far only six
have evidence
of
a mouthpiece.
When a
mouthpiece
is
present
it is
on
the
side
of the figurine rather than a third foot-
like
extension at the back.
Costume and omament
are
of
greatest
importance. To display
these
fully
the Lagartero
human
seated
figurine
boes
{80
percent
of the
total number of bodies) usually were
made
in three
pieces-the
backs
and many of the
bases
are mold-made, with designs
that
continue
from the front.
Standing
flgurines
are
molded
in
two
pieces plus
the
had.
The
heads
are mold-made in two
pieces,
front
and
back. Decoration,
such
as
turbanlike rolls
of
cloth,
conical hats,
earspools, and
plumes,
are
usually
added
afte molding.
Heavy appendages were
stuck
part
way between the two halves of the head before they were
ioined
to
give
extra
support.
The
largest
group
of
heads
{Fig.
l0-2a-c),
about
fffty, have
stepped
hairdos
and turban
headdresses.
More than
half have
a
row
of
raised
dots down
the
forehead;
these correspond
to dots down the
forehead
and nose
of
painted
flgures
on
the
polychrome
pottery.
Others
have
a
pinch
of
ciay
on
the
nose
and
another on
the
forehead.
Three
have
nose
plugs;
one
has filed teeth.
-$.,
A small
group
(Fig.
10-29)
of
about ten
examples have
a smile show-
lng
teeth and
center-parted
hair.
The
second-largest
group
of
heads
ifig.
10-2d-f,
i),
about thirty ex-
amples, have
appliqu strips of
hair framing
the
faces.
This
group
in-
cludes
moe
expressions,
especially grimaces.
Teatment of the
fore-
head
is similar to that
of
the
other
group.
A fourth
and
large
group
(about
thirty)
look
much like the
first
$oup
except
that the turbans and the
earspools are
included
in
the mold,
as
are
hairdos
on
the backs
{Iig.
10-2j). Only
the
tassels on the ear-
spools
were
added later.
Iifteen
heads
wear open-mouthed monster mask
headdresses
(Fig.
10-2h)
that were common throughout
the Maya
area in
Tepeu times.
The
headdresses vary
from
compietely
mold-made
to completely
modeied
and
there
are combinations
of the two.
Small
varieties
of
mold-made heads
include
those
with
closed
eyes,
sunl
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179
The Lago.rtero
Figurines
0
Scm.
lrtltl
FrcuRE
ro 3.
Seated female
mold made
figurine
bodies.
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184
Susanna M.
Ekholm
ill
tt:
i1
5
cm.
rrrrl
IGURI,
ro-4. a-e:
Seated male mold-made
frgurine bodies
(note
the
mold-
made base showing
folded legs in
b);
f:
standrng female
figurine body;
g:
stand.
ing male
figurine
body.
0
I
181
The Lagarterc
Figwines
t
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182
Susanna
M
Ekholm
ln
anotler
variety of about
forty
similar figurines
{Iig.
10-3b-c)
the
women
weat
short huipils of
gauze.
Some
have
flower
designs
on
the
front and
back,
some
have
a
net
design,
and some have a combination
of
the two.
The
thid
variety of
women with
their
hands
on
their
knees wear
short
jackets
or
shawls
just
covering
both
breasts
(IiS.
10-3d).
The
two
examples,
quite
small
figures,
were
probably
both
whistles.
Seated
women
are
often
shown
gesturing
elegantly.
About
twenty-
four raise their right
hands, the
fingers curved
{Fig.
10-3e).
Nineteen
of
these
wear elaborately
decorated
shawls
like
rubozos. Thee othrs
wear
their
shawls closed
with the comers
hanging in
points
and the
.hu"rpil showing below.
One,
raising
her le{t
hand
has
a
band of
gl1phs
around the
neck
of
her
short
huipil
that
is decorated
front and
back
with
a monster mask
with
half-closed eyes.
Several
wear
unusual
gar-
ments
that
cover
only
one breast.
Seated
women
are also shown
gesturing
with the left hand
palm
outward
and
fingers
extended
(Fig.
10-3f).
Four
of tese
wear a shawl
over
a
p14n,
longhuipil or
shawl
decorated
with circles; these
latter
ae
distinctive, however, in
that the
heads ae
molded
with
the
bodies
-even
the
earspools
and
hairdos are molded
(Fig.
10-2i).
Other
positions
cannot
yet
be described.
Thee women
with
iacket-
like
garments
seem
to
hoid
both
hands at the waist.
Iour fragments
with
glyph
bands
at the
neck wear
unusual
pendants
with
almost
glyphlike
faces.
-)The
seated
male
figurines
(Fig.
10-4a-e) are
of
the
same
type. They
are
recognizable by
their
distinctive
garments
and
their less
shapely
bodies.
They sit
in
a
slightly
difierent
position
with
their
feet
pro-
truding in front.
The most common man's
garment
is
a short
toga or
shawllike cloth
tied
on
the
left shoulder
{about
forty)
or
the
right shoulder
(about
eleven) and
passing
below
the other arm. The
designs
on
these togas
and
the shape
of
their edges
vary.Ten
have a
glyph
band
at the
top
edge
(although
these
"glyphs"
are'much
more
cursive
than the
ones
on
the women's
gamcents)
and
a monster mask
on
the
front
and back
the men wear a breechclout
that
is
seen
passing
between
their
legs
on
the
molded
bases; their
right
arms are
raised
across
thefu
chests
(Fig.
10-4a).
A
similar
toga
but
with
a'squared
edge
and
no
glyphs
is
worn by
thirty
men who
raise
their left hands
across
their chests
(Fig,
10-4b). Eleven
have togas
with
monster masks in cartouches;
they
raise
their right
hands across
their
chests.
The
second typical
garment for
seated
men is
a
wide
decorated
cloth
or skin worn hanging down
in
the front only
(Fig.
10-4d)
over a
breech-
clout that leaves the buttocks
naked.
In
all
cases
the men
sit
with
both
arms
encased
by the
garment.
Although the
position
looks un-
comfortablg
the figures, with such elaborately decorated clothes, do
not
seem
to be bound
prisoners.
There
appear
to
be examples of
"front
capes"
(Mahler
).965:590-591)
and seem
to refute Mahler's
suggestion
that
the
representations of
thee
on
pottery
and in the
codices
may
be side views of a rounded front
cloak. Fifteen have monster mask
designs on
their
belts and
fringed
skirts
below. Ten wear triangular
garments/
some
with
circle
designs,
others
with
monsters.
183
The Lagartero
Figuines
ili
E
l,
l
-
ri::;;
ili-
I
lt-
u'
ti-
:1,
it.,l
].'.
j
i;
'''
li.r;t
1,
i'r
'r1
lll
ll
1..,"
,.,i
l l
r
)
:5
il
5
i
:t
i
.J
I
rni
FIGURE
ro-5.
Mold-made ciay pendants.
5 cm.
I
t
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184
Susanna M
El,Jtolm
Three
seateti
men
wear fringed
jackets,
like
the Aztec
xicolli,
with
flower
designs
in
circles
(Iig.
10-4eJ.
Seven
seated
males
are shown
gesturing
(Iig.
l0-4c).
They wear
what
is
probably
a
deerskin
tied
behind
so
that
it hangs
ofi
the
shoulders
and covers
the
figure,s
front,
with the white tail flipped
ove
to make
a
pendant
on
the
chest;
the
front
has a
monster
*st
ln
a
cartouche.
The
right hand
makes
the gesture
with the
fingers
curved
that
is iden-
tical
to
that
of
the
women.
)
Standing
mold-made
female flgurines
(Fig.
l0-4{}
are
outstanding for
their
graceful
gestures
and
regal
bearing,
although
these ffgures
are
rare.
Their
costumes
are
even
more elaborate than those
of the seated
females
and
ae
usually
shawls over huipils
that
in turn
cover
one
or
more
skirts.
Hands
are
shown
curving
up
in front
of
the
chest
on
seven
exampies,
curving
down
on
ffve
examples, one
curving
up
and
one
curving
down
on two
examples,
one
pointing
up and
one
pointing
down on
two
examples.
Three ffgurines
show the use
of
fine,
long
quexquemitls.
There
ae no
comparable
standing
mold-made
male figurines.
All
standing
males
are
possibly
shamanlike
and
may be shown in
an act
of
ritual
transformation
into
an animal.
About
ten
plain
ones wear
only a breechcloug
but
they have
tails.
Others, about
fifteen,
wear
skins
or nets
and
are often
grotesquely
fat-bellied
{Fig.
1O-ag).
Much
of
the originai
paint-blue,
red
and
white-remains
on the
ffgurines.
There
is
another
group
of
mold-made
clay artifacts
that
is related
to
the flgurines.
These
are
pendantg
presumably
to
be
worn
on neck-
laces.
Perhaps
they are
the
pendants
that
are
shown
being
worn
by
most
of
the
mold-made
figurines.
Most
of them
are
simply heads,
but they
are not
broken
ofi
of
figurines
they
are
complete
as
they
are,
with
perforations
in
the
back lor suspension.
Eighteen
pendants
epresent
what
may
be
shamans
(Fig.
10-5). They
are
bearded grotesque
faces,; protruding
from
the
head
are one round
knob
or horn
and
one
ot two
tassels.
Even more
grotesque
faces,
o{ten
with
starlike
protrusions,
number
sixteen.
Of twenty-five
monsters,
six
ae
long-nose
creatures.
Animals,
too/ are
shown
as
pendants,;
they
are
usually
birds,
either
ound-bellied
unelistic
ones
(twelve
examples) or macaws
or
quetzals (eleven exampies).
It
is
not
within the
scope
of
this essay
to treat
the
several hundred
animal
figurines/
most
of
which
are
mold-made.
It
is
interesting,
how-
ever,
that about
one
hundred
of the animal
ff.gurines
represented
are
dogs.
Many dog
bones were also
found
in thebasurero.
Mold-made
and modeled
figurines
occur together in
the
Lagartero
basuterc.
Modeled
flgurines
are much
fewer in
number
and seem
to
represent
a
difierent class
of
persons.
AII are
males.
They
arc scantily
clad, usually
only in loincloths,
and some
may
depict
sacrificial
vic-
tims
whose
entrails are
shown
during
some
form
of disembowelment.
Other
modeled
ffgurines
are
grotesque,
fat,
half-animal,
and
phallic
figures.
Some
animals, too,
especially
birds,
which
are
usually
whis-
tles,
are modeled.,
What
can
be said
about the Lagartero mold-made
figurine
complex
at this
early
stage in
our
analysis?
By the
nature
of the
baswero,
with its lacl< of stratigraphy
and
its
homogenous
contents,
I
feel
that
the refuse in it was deposited within
a
fairly short
time,
perhaps
even
within
a
single season. Whether it
refers to ceemonies
that
took
place
on
the
platforms
or was brought
in fom
another
part
of the ceremonial
center we do
not know.
All of
the figurines
(and
other artifactsJ
were
probably
being used at
the
same
time.
It
also
seems.
likely
that
the
figurines
wee manufact\red
at
LaE r'
tero. The
pastes
are all
generally
similar.
Included in
the
refuse
were
about
twenty figurine
molds. There
are
many pairs and
groups
of fig-
urines
made
in the
same
mold.
One of
the
extraordinary
facts about
the
polychrome pottery
from
the basurero
is
that only
about
5
percent
of
the
vesseis
do
not bear
giyphs.
O{ those
that
do,
90
percent
bear only a Chuen-like
glyph
with
various
affixes.
That is
the same
glyph
as the
one
shown on the
huipils
o
the
main
group
of seated
female figurines,
and
the
glyph
may be associatd especially
with Lagartero
or
its ceremonies.
.
.
The
elaborate
cosumes
on
the
Lagartero
ffgurines
will
merit
special
attention. Apparently shown are cotton
garments
with various types
of decoration
(embroidery,
brocadg
appliqu, and
paint),
and the
gar-
ments
are
of many types.
They incate a
$eat
textile
uaft
specializa'
tion and will be
stued
to identify
gatments
and
make
comparisons
with
ethnographic
costume and
costume shown on
Maya stelae
and
other
figurines
(Walter
F.
Morris,
fr.,
work in
preparation).
Apparently
the
Lagartero figurine
sculptors took the
license
of
not showing dra-
pery
as that wouid
distort the
essentiai
thing the designs on the
fabics.
The area
neat
Lagartero
today
is
an
importnt
cotton-growing
zone,
and
not too distant
areas were famous
for their
cotton
production
in
ancient
times.
Thomas Gage
{}.
E. S. Thompson
1958:148)
speaks
of
the
production
of
cotton-wool
in
Copanabastla
iCopanaguastla)
that was widely traded,
Then
at Izquintenango,
Gage
encountered
a
great
trading certer,
very
rich, by reason
of
the much cotton-wool
in it
{Thompson
1958:161).
Izquintenango
is about a three-hour
walk
from Lagartiro.
The
Grifalv
a
ialtey until
very recently was
famous
l-
fo its
fine cotton
textiles such
as
those
of the
Zoque
of
Tuxtla Gu-
tirez
and
those of
the Tzeltal
Maya
of
San
Bartolom
de
los
Llanos
(Venustiano
Caranza)
(Cordry
and
Cordry
l94I).
That this
fame
pos-
sibly
extended
back
to Late
Classic
times
in
the easten
part
of the
valley may
be evidenced
by
the.Lagartero
figurine
costumes.
A
major
problem
when
faced
with the study
of a
figurine collection
such
as this one
is the
lack of
published
comparative
material. Ex'
cavated
ffgurines, usually fragmentary,
are
rurely
published
complete-
ly.
Also,
known whole
figurines are usually
from
looted sites and
have
lost their
provenience.
In this
respect,
howevet,
we have had some
luck. In
the
report
on
the excavations
atZaotler,
Woodbury
and
Trik
i1953:
Figs. 270-2771
show some
figuriie
fragments that came
from their
excavations
and
from
a
small
mound south
of
and across the barranca
from the
Zaculeu
ceremonial
center, and
there is our
flgurine
complex. The
heads,
while
difficult to
evaluate
exactly, would
not
be
out of
place
among our
185
The
Lagarterc
Figuilnes
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186
Susanna M.
Ekholm
figurines.
Body fragments
shown
could
be from
Lagartero.
There
are
even
six
examples
of
our
peridants-five
grotesque
faces
and
a
bird.
Here
is
confirmation
of
the
pendants,relationship
with
the ffgurines
nd
some
evidence
of
the
areal spread of
the
entire
mold-made
com-
plex.
Wolfgang
Haberland
has
funished
me
with
a
photograph
of
a
ffgurine
in the
Termer
Collection
in
the Museum
frlr
Vlkeikunde,
Hamburg,
that
was purch
ased in 1926
and comes
from
Aguacatan,
near
Huehuetenango
it
could
be
frona
the
same
mold
as oui
male
figures
wearing
short,
fringed
jackets.
This is the
only real
comparative
evidence so
far,
tJrough,
and
we must
assume
that
the
complex is
limited
to
the
southwestern
Maya
frortier.
Figurines,
in
spite
of
their
ubiquity
and often very illuminating
eth-
nographic
detail,
remain
an
enigma. No one
has
ever
been
able
to
say
for
sure how
they
were used,
and one
usually
ends
up
saying,
as
does
Rands
(1965J
in his
summary
article
on Highland
Maya flgurines,
simply that
they
were
probably
used in many
ways.
This
may
well
be
true
in
the
main,
but
perhaps
with
finds
such
as this
one at Lgartero
we
can
begin
to discuss
the
function
of specific
fi.gurine
complexes.
No
ffgurines
(or
polychrome
pottery)
were found-in any
of the fiIty
or
so
burials
of
the
northwest
plaza,
although
many
were
probably
of the same
period.
The ffgurines
are an
exception
to
Borhegyi,s
{1965:
35)
rule
that
Highland
Late
Classic
figurines
are
primarily
,,ofr.ertory
or decorative
objects
and
that
they
are
never found
boken
or
bat-
tered.
The
preponderance
of
female
figurines
is intrigng.
This ffgurine
complex
is intimately
associated
with
the
polychrome
pottery
com-
plex
with
its
extensive
fi.gure
painting.
But
only
males
seem
to be
painted
on
the
pots.
The
female figurines
seem
to
be more
prepossess-
ing
and important
than
the male
ones, as
if
they
played
i more im-
portant
role.
We have
the tantalizing
suggestion
tat this collection
of
figurines
with
such
a narow
range
of activities
shown
may
represent
a
small
numbe
of individual
roles
pertaining
to
a
parricular
ritual
or
group
of
rituals
such as
an end-of-cycie
ceremony.
The
few
por.r
*d
g.r-
tures may
also refer to
slight
variation
of
class
or
social
status.
We
,are
left
with the
hope
of being
able
to
reconstruct
in
some
wy
some
highly
f
ormali
zed.
rrt:ual.
il
.,t,r
ir
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i,1
Ethnohistoric
Approaches