Lot 101
Pre-Columbian, West Mexico, Colima, Protoclassic, ca. 100 BCE to 250 CE. A spectacular pottery figural vessel in the "Comala Style" in the form of a musician shown seated with legs spread and bent at the knees as he holds a rattle in each hand. A trio of ridged crests line his other wise bald head with a stylized conch shell or shaman horn rising at the back that doubles as a spout. His coffee bean-shaped eyes gaze forward, flanking a prominent nose and protruding lips held in a slight smile as long earrings fall to his shoulders on either side. A turtle shell carapace pendant is displayed at his chest while his body is clothed in a petite loincloth, an incised sash hanging from one shoulder, and a dotted, cross-body bag. Mesmerizing patterns of black pigment embellish his visage, perhaps representing tattoos or face paint, and a crested rhomboid design decorates the back of his head. Size: 8" W x 13.2" H (20.3 cm x 33.5 cm)
Colima, located on Mexico's southwestern coast, was during this time part of the shaft tomb culture, along with neighbors to the north in Jalisco and Nayarit. In this culture, the dead were buried down shafts - 3 to 20 meters deep - that were dug vertically or near vertically through the volcanic tuff that makes up the geology of the region. The base of the shaft would open into one or more horizontal chambers with a low ceiling. These shafts were almost always dug beneath a dwelling, probably a family home, and seem to have been used as family mausoleums, housing the remains of many related individuals. This is a figure made to be placed inside those mausoleums, perhaps to mediate between the worlds of the living and the dead.
Provenance: private Los Angeles, California, USA collection, acquired before 2000
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#190906
- Condition: Professionally repaired with restoration and repainting over break lines; one break line visible on proper left leg. Expected surface wear as shown, but, otherwise, excellent with impressive detail. Rich manganese deposits throughout.
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