Las mejores historias no se inventan: se descubren. La de Pretty Ladies (female figurines) es una de esas narrativas que, cuando la conoces a fondo, te resulta imposible mirar hacia otro lado. Pretty Ladies is the name archaeologists at the beginning of the 20th century gave to pre-Columbian female figurines in Mexico, from the Chupícuaro, Michoacan, and Tlatilco culture
El contexto histórico
Pretty Ladies is the name archaeologists at the beginning of the 20th century gave to pre-Columbian female figurines in Mexico, from the Chupícuaro, Michoacan, and Tlatilco cultures.
Los hechos clave
Archaeological research and context The figurines were found in archaeological research at the beginning of the 1930s by Mexican and American archaeologists. It is in fact the discovery of the figurines that led to the discovery of whole sites, like the Tlatlico one. There are many interpretations of what were the functions of the figures. In some configurations, they were buried with dead bodies to ensure the resurrection of the corpses. They also represented fertility, not necessarily human fertility but also earth fertility.
Dato clave: “naked female with short arms, extended stomach and a fancy coiffure or headdress” Naming problematics These figures are also called by archaeologists “naked feminine figures”, “nude girls”, “topless girls and women” or even “Venus of (Tlatlico, for instance)”, which at least one scholar claimed is problematic because in doing so, they projected ideals on the culture these figures were part of, influenced by European representations of beauty.
Lo que revelan las investigaciones
“females with large heads, small waists, and prominent hips”. “naked female with short arms, extended stomach and a fancy coiffure or headdress” Naming problematics These figures are also called by archaeologists “naked feminine figures”, “nude girls”, “topless girls and women” or even “Venus of (Tlatlico, for instance)”, which at least one scholar claimed is problematic because in doing so, they projected ideals on the culture these figures were part of, influenced by European representations of beauty. Also, the naming of clay figures was done in a different way for female and male representations. The equivalent male figures were never called “pretty lords” or “nude men”, even when they were as naked as the female figures, but rather “man”, “male figure”, “chief”, etc.
Las implicaciones
References Woman And Art in Early Modern Latin America, Kellen Kee MacIntyre, Richard E. Phillips (eds.), 1996. Findley, Sheila A. 1997. Not Just Pretty Ladies: An Analysis of Anthropomorphic Clay Figurines from the Preclassic Site of Chupícuaro, Guanajuato, Mexico. Unpublished Master’s Thesis, Departement of Anthropology, University of California, Los Angeles. “Terracotta Chupicuaro “Pretty Lady” Figure – London Coin Galleries”. London Coin Galleries. londoncoin.com. 3 July 2016. Retrieved 2016-12-10.
Por qué esta historia importa
La historia de Pretty Ladies (female figurines) no es solo un relato del pasado. Es un espejo que nos ayuda a entender el México de hoy — sus contradicciones, su resiliencia, sus retos y su potencial. Conocerla es un primer paso hacia una conversación más honesta sobre el país y la sociedad que queremos construir.
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