Mexican Barro Negro Woman-Shaped Bell

When I saw this Mexican woman shaped bell at an antique shop going out of business in Liberty, Missouri, I immediately thought of Velasquez’s “las Meninas.”Like the infanta at the center of that painting, she seems posed and self-possesed, head slightly turned and arms positioned at the top of voluminous skirt, with an expression that renders her forever elusive. I find her super compelling, Plus she hides a bell beneath that shirt! She is emblematic of traditional Oaxacan “barro negro” (black clay) pottery - hand-shaped, unglazed, and dried over a period of several weeks.  5 1/2 inches tall, 4.75" diameter at base, great condition.