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The Young Woman of Amajac

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The Young Woman of Amajac
La Joven de Amajac
MaterialLimestone
Long60 cm (24 in)
Height2 m (6 ft 7 in)
Width25 cm (9.8 in)
CreatedPostclassic period (c. 1451–1521 CE)
Discovered1 January 2021
Hidalgo Amajac, Álamo Municipality, Veracruz
Discovered byLocal farmers
Present locationNational Museum of Anthropology
CultureHuastec
The Young Woman of Amajac is located in Mexico
Mexico City
Mexico City
Hidalgo Amajac
Hidalgo Amajac

The Young Woman of Amajac[1][2] (Spanish: La Joven de Amajac [aˈmaxak]) is a pre-Hispanic sculpture depicting an indigenous woman. The piece is on display at Mexico City's National Museum of Anthropology. It was discovered in January 2021 in the Huasteca region, in eastern Mexico. A replica is slated to replace the Monument to Christopher Columbus along Mexico City's Paseo de la Reforma.

The sculpture is estimated to have been created between 1450 and 1521, during the postclassic period. It is a 2-meter (6 ft 7 in) tall, 60-centimeter (24 in) wide, and 25-centimeter (9.8 in) thick limestone artwork that depicts a woman wearing a blouse and ankle-length skirt.[3][4] She appears to wear jewelry, including circular pendants known as "oyohualli".[3] Her eyes are hollow indicating that they probably had stones in them.[4] At her bare feet,[4] there is a stake that allowed the sculpture to be placed in the ground upright.[3]

Discovery

A group of farmers discovered the sculpture on 1 January 2021 while preparing to till the land in a citrus field in the town of Hidalgo Amajac, in Álamo Municipality, Veracruz.[5][6] It is not known whom it is supposed to represent.[1] The National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) considered it was similar to the Huastec's fertility goddess, but did not dismiss it as being a representation of a member of the elite.[1] It is the first sculpture of its kind to be found near the Tuxpan River.[5]

According to Alejandra Frausto Guerrero, the head of the nation's Secretariat of Culture, the find is significant. Likely representing an important female ruler, it supports the idea of women's participation in the political life of the Huastecs.[3]

Exhibition

The Young Woman of Amajac was presented at the National Museum of Anthropology of Mexico (MNA) for the exhibition La Grandeza de México (The Greatness of Mexico).[7] The statue temporarily left the museum as it was sent back to Hidalgo Amajac, where it received a tribute in a cultural festival organized by its inhabitants.[8] At the same time, the sculpture symbolically inaugurated the Recinto Cultural de Hidalgo Amajac (Cultural Precinct of Hidalgo Amajac), where it will be permanently exhibited once the MNA exhibition finishes on 14 August 2022.[9]

In November 2021, the Secretariat of Culture and the INAH filmed and published a documentary entitled La Joven de Amajac, una mujer entre el naranjal (The Young Woman of Amajac, a Woman Among the Orange Groves).[10]

Replica

It was announced on 12 October 2021 that a replica of The Young Woman of Amajac will replace the Monument to Christopher Columbus along Mexico City's Paseo de la Reforma. The Columbus statue was removed in October 2020 by the local government.[1][2] It also replaces the proposal to install Tlalli, a giant head by Pedro Reyes. Reyes's proposal was not well-received and was canceled by the city in September 2021.[11] The Young Woman of Amajac will be around 6 m (20 ft) tall and it will stand on top of the 19th century neoclassical pedestal created for the Columbus statue.[1][12] The sculpture will cost 7.5 million pesos (approximately 376,000 U.S. dollars).[13] The sculpture will also replace the Women Who Fight Roundabout, a space appropriated by feminists days after the announcement of Tlalli.[14]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Agren, David (12 October 2021). "Mexico City to replace Columbus statue with pre-Hispanic sculpture of woman". The Guardian. Retrieved 12 October 2021.
  2. ^ a b "Pre-Hispanic woman sculpture replaces Columbus in Mexico". The Washington Post. Mexico City. Associated Press. 12 October 2021. Retrieved 12 October 2021.
  3. ^ a b c d Geggel, Laura (12 January 2021). "Statue of mysterious woman with 'Star Wars'-like headdress found in Mexico". Live Science. Retrieved 12 October 2021.
  4. ^ a b c "First pre-Colombian sculpture of the female form found in Veracruz". TecReview. Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education. 29 January 2021. Retrieved 12 October 2021.
  5. ^ a b "A one-of-its-kind pre-Hispanic sculpture has been discovered in Veracruz". Rivera Maya News. Hidalgo Amajac, Veracruz. 12 January 2021. Retrieved 12 October 2021.
  6. ^ Salazar, Wendy (12 October 2021). "¿Cómo se encontró 'La joven de Amajac' en Veracruz y a quién representa?" [How 'the Young Woman of Amajac' was found and to whom it represents?]. Milenio (in Spanish). Retrieved 12 October 2021.
  7. ^ Guillén, Beatriz (17 October 2021). "'La joven de Amajac': la historia detrás de la escultura hallada entre naranjos que sustituirá a Colón en Reforma" ['The Young Woman of Amajac': the story behind the sculpture found among orange trees that will replace Columbus at Reforma]. El País (in Spanish). Retrieved 25 June 2022.
  8. ^ Salazar, Wendy (28 December 2021). "La 'joven gobernante' de Amajac regresa a Álamo tras exposición en el INAH" [The 'young ruler' of Amajac returns to Alamo after INAH exhibition]. Milenio (in Spanish). Retrieved 25 June 2022.
  9. ^ "Trasladan a escultura huasteca 'Joven de Amajac' al Museo Nacional de Antropología en CDMX" [Huasteca sculpture 'Young of Amajac' transferred to the National Museum of Anthropology in Mexico City]. Elementos MX (in Spanish). Álamo, Veracruz. 12 May 2022. Retrieved 25 June 2022.
  10. ^ "Documental sobre la joven de Amajac se estrena en medios públicos" [Documentary about the young girl from Amajac to be released in public media]. El Economista (in Spanish). 8 November 2021. Retrieved 25 June 2022.
  11. ^ ""La joven de Amajac", la escultura que representará a las mujeres indígenas y sustituirá a Cristóbal Colón en Reforma". Infobae (in Spanish). 12 October 2021. Retrieved 12 October 2021.
  12. ^ "'La joven de Amajac' sustituirá finalmente a la estatua de Colón en la Ciudad de México" ['The Young Woman of Amajac' will finally substitute the Columbus statue in Mexico City]. DW (in Spanish). 13 October 2021. Retrieved 13 October 2021.
  13. ^ Paz Avendaño, Reyna (28 February 2022). "Se destinaron 7.5 mdp para realizar la escultura 'La Joven de Amajac'" [7.5 million pesos were allocated for the sculpture 'The Young Woman of Amajac']. La Crónica de Hoy (in Spanish). Retrieved 25 June 2022.
  14. ^ Sautto, Idalia (February 2022). "Ephemeral Monuments". Goethe-Institut. Retrieved 25 June 2022.

External links

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