Lot 141B
**First Time At Auction**
Pre-Columbian, West Mexico, Colima, ca. 300 BCE to 300 CE. A charming, hand-built terracotta figure depicting a seated male aristocrat in front of a reclinitario. The man has bent legs, a tasseled loincloth and rectangular tunic, and wears a shell necklace while fanning himself or admiring himself in a small mirror. His regal visage is composed of coffee-bean-shaped eyes, a slightly crooked nose, pouty lips, and bar-shaped ears, all beneath a thick-brimmed cap adorned with densely-incised crosshatch motifs. A whistle mouthpiece is situated atop the cap, and the tone hole behind the neck; the whistle produces a high-pitched sound when played. Covered in pale red slip, this is an exceedingly rare example of figural Colima artistry. Size: 5.25" L x 3" W x 4.125" H (13.3 cm x 7.6 cm x 10.5 cm).
Reclinitarios were used by individuals of high rank to support their heads and backs when seated or reclining. The form of this example is comprised of an avian figure with a single circular eye and a pair of attenuated wings on the obverse side as well as a trio of bent, anthropomorphic-style legs on the verso. The hybridized iconography of the reclinitario signifies a metaphor for dreams which often assume surreal transitional states.
Provenance: private Southern California, USA collection, acquired in the 1970s to mid-1980s; appraised in November, 1986 by Larry Wendt, Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA
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#140935
- Condition: Very minor nicks and abrasions to legs, body, arms, head, and reclinitario, and light softening to some finer details, otherwise intact and excellent. Light earthen deposits throughout.
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| From: | To: | Increments: |
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| $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 |