Lot 233
Pre-Columbian, West Mexico, Nayarit, Protoclassic Period, ca. 100 BCE to 250 CE. An expressive and sizable bi-chrome pottery warrior figure of a hollow form and exhibiting highly burnished surfaces adorned with vibrant red-orange and creamy beige pigments. Wearing a piece of vertically striped barrel armor around his torso, the bulky figure sits nude from the waist down with bent legs atop an integral, two-legged stool. Both stubbed arms project out before him, displaying delineated hands grasping a formidable club, as three collar necklaces lay above his armor. The ancient figure's tall countenance presents slit-form eyes above a prominent nose with incised nostrils, an open mouth, and ears bedecked with multiple earrings, all topped by a bicorn helmet incised with a dense lattice-patterned motif. Size: 6.25" W x 17" H (15.9 cm x 43.2 cm)
Ceramic 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 would most likely have flanked the entrance to a tomb in a way that archaeologists have interpreted as guarding. Some scholars have connected 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 Hawaii, USA collection; ex-Baker collection, Tucson, Arizona USA 1960 to 2000
All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back.
A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids.
PLEASE NOTE: Due to recent increases of shipments being seized by Australian & German customs (even for items with pre-UNESCO provenance),
we will no longer shipmost antiquities and ancient Chinese art to Australia & Germany. For categories of items that are acceptable to ship to Australia, please contact us directly or work with your local customs brokerage firm.
#162991
- Condition: Repaired from several pieces with restoration over break lines. Proper right horn on headdress restored from new material. Light nicks/chips and abrasions in some areas, commensurate with age. Otherwise, very nice with lovely earthen and mineral deposits throughout.
Accepted Forms of Payment:
American Express, Discover, MasterCard, Visa
Shipping
Auction House will ship, at Buyer's expense
Artemis Fine Arts
You agree to pay a buyer's premium of 24.5% and any applicable taxes and shipping.
View full terms and conditions
| From: | To: | Increments: |
|---|---|---|
| $0 | $299 | $25 |
| $300 | $999 | $50 |
| $1,000 | $1,999 | $100 |
| $2,000 | $4,999 | $250 |
| $5,000 | $9,999 | $500 |
| $10,000 | $19,999 | $1,000 |
| $20,000 | $49,999 | $2,500 |
| $50,000 | $99,999 | $5,000 |
| $100,000 | $199,999 | $10,000 |
| $200,000 + | $20,000 |