Pre-Columbian, West Mexico, Colima, Pihuamo, ca. 200 BCE to 300 CE. An amazingly well-preserved pottery figure of a handsome seated man featuring delineated legs and tubular arms with hands lightly rested on his knees. His face is detailed with deeply incised almond shaped eyes, accented by a gently protruded nose, and a slightly open slit form mouth. A pair of modestly sized earspools and a double ring appliqued head dress accessorize his otherwise nude form. Size: 10.25" L x 4.25" W x 10.25" H (26 cm x 10.8 cm x 26 cm)
Clay figures like this one are the only remains that we have today of a sophisticated and unique culture in West Mexico - they made no above-ground monuments or sculptures, at least that we know of, which is in strong contrast to developments elsewhere in ancient Mesoamerica. Instead, their tombs were their lasting works of art: skeletons arrayed radially with their feet positioned inward, and clay offerings, like this one, placed alongside the walls facing inward, near the skulls. A large effigy like this one most likely would have flanked the entrance to a tomb in a way that archaeologists have interpreted as guarding. Some scholars have interpreted these dynamic sculptures of the living as a strong contrast to the skeletal remains whose space they shared, as if they mediated between the living and the dead.
Provenance: private Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA collection; ex-Dr. David Harner collection, Springdale, Arkansas, USA, acquired between the 1950s and 1960s
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#164197
Condition
Light softening to carved details. Otherwise in excellent condition and fully intact. Very nicely persevered, in exemplary form.