Veracruz, Classic

Classic Veracruz culture thrived along Mexico's Gulf Coast from roughly 100 to 1000 CE, with major centers at El Tajin, Remojadas, and Cerro de las Mesas. The culture produced a rich variety of sculptural forms, from monumental stone architecture to small ceramic figurines. Their most distinctive creations are the stone ballgame equipment: yokes, hachas, and palmas used in the Mesoamerican ball game ritual.

Veracruz artists were remarkably inventive with ceramics. The famous Remojadas "Sonrientes" (smiling figures) feature triangular faces with broad grins and outstretched arms. Many figurines double as flutes, whistles, or ocarinas. The culture also produced rare wheeled animal toys, one of the few known applications of the wheel in pre-Columbian America. Our collection includes 6 works at the Art Institute of Chicago.