Pre-Columbian, West Mexico, Colima, ca. 300 BCE to 300 CE. A remarkable hand-built pottery figure shown sitting cross-legged with his hands placed on his legs. The ancient figure displays a thick, flat body, square shoulders, and attenuated limbs. Supported by a broad neck, his sizable head narrows towards the top and features a pair of coffee bean-shaped eyes, a narrow nose, and a straight, incised mouth, all flanked by two annular earspools. A conical headdress sits atop the figure, divided vertically by a horizontal band with a pair of tab-shaped adornments that protrude from both sides. Nice remains of black and cream pigments can be seen across the body of the figure, possibly having previously served to represent clothing. Size: 8.75" L x 4.625" W x 13.625" H (22.2 cm x 11.7 cm x 34.6 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: ex-Stein collection, Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, USA, acquired prior to 2010
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#163940
Condition
Repaired from several pieces with restoration over break lines. Expected nicks and abrasions commensurate with age. Otherwise, very nice with earthen and manganese deposits.