Lot 89
From ancient West Mexico, circa 100 BCE - 250 CE. Measures approximately 9" tall by about 6" wide. This seated male figure represents a fine example of a desirable type of Nayarit, Ixtlan del Rio figure, depicting an individual in the act of smoking. He is shown wearing a decorative headband or head dressing, wearing ornate carved shell ear and nose decoration, and a loin cloth. The short stem he is smoking may depict rolled tobacco (in the form of a cigar) or a smoking tube containing a substance being smoked. Smoking was not merely a recreational pursuit in Pre-Columbian cultures, but was performed by shamans for ritual and/or ceremonial purposes. It is known from ethnographic data that shamans would blow smoke over individuals in curing ceremonies, and in other contexts to symbolically produce clouds for rain. Shamans also smoked substances to induce altered states of consciousness, important in their mediation between the seen and unseen realms. The large, bulging eyes depicted on this example strongly suggest the ritual use of hallucinogenic substances, likely as part of a shamanic act. Provenance: Former Rafael Moses private collection, Colorado, USA. Collected pre-1970. Rafael Moses was a former co-founder of the Rocky Mountain Institute of Pre-Columbian Studies, and assembled a fine collection of rare Pre-Columbian artifacts. Authenticity Guaranteed and a Certificate of Authenticity will accompany this lot The starting price is the lowest price at which the lot can sell.
- Condition: Intact overall with only minor touch-ups as follows: minor restoration of a small amount of loss to the tip of the figure's right ear ornamentation, minor restoration to the tip of the loincloth backflap, minor restoration (only over the original stress lines) to ancient breakage to a small portion of the figure's left buttock (original material), minor touch-up to ancient loss at the nose decoration, and a tiny bit of restoration to a chip on the figure's lower right tip of head decoration. Minor restoration to ancient breaks at the figure's right lower leg and left upper arm. All restoration/repair was relatively minor, only done to minimize distraction from minor loss and chips, where necessary. No major restoration or fill was performed. Heavy Manganese and other mineral deposits remain on the surface overall.
Accepted Forms of Payment:
American Express, Discover, MasterCard, Money Order / Cashiers Check, Paypal, Personal Check, Visa, Wire Transfer
Shipping
Auction House will ship, at Buyer's expense
Artemis Fine Arts
You agree to pay a buyer's premium of 20% 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 | $2,000 |
| $50,000 | $99,999 | $5,000 |
| $100,000 | $199,999 | $10,000 |
| $200,000 + | $25,000 |