Pre-Columbian, West Mexico, Colima, ca. 300 BCE to 300 CE. A highly burnished redware figure of a shaman seated in a pensive pose, all decorated in red slip, with lengthy arms that reach down towards bent knees to support the slight forward lean. Centered on the chest is a lizard-form pendant used perhaps in ceremonial rituals, and the perforated ear lobes suggest additional ornamentation was present at one time. The helmet features a protruding frontal horn - a classic sign of shamanic status - as well as a spout on the verso. Size: 10.25" W x 15.1" H (26 cm x 38.4 cm)

Colima, located on Mexico's southwestern coast, was part of the shaft tomb culture during this period, 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: ex-Marc Amiguet Schmitt estate, Amiguet's Ancient Art, Evansville, Indiana, USA, acquired prior to January 1, 2010

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#174344

Repaired with small chips and adhesive residue along break lines. Light abrasions and fading to color commensurate with age, otherwise in very good condition. Nice preservation to overall form. Petite drill holes around some surfaces.