Pre-Columbian, Western Mexico, Colima, ca. 300 BCE to 300 CE. A finely-built male redware pottery figure standing upon his widespread, hefty legs, holding his lengthy phallus with his left hand, with his right hand placed upon his head. His bulbous head is capped with a flapped, crested helmet - suggestive of shamanic, warrior, and/or leadership status - and presents a countenance that may be interpreted as one of joy or perhaps grit given his squinting eyes, puffy cheeks, and parted lips. This piece, with an open spout emerging from the back of the figure's head, was most likely used to pour ritualistic libations related to fertility given the subject matter. It exemplifies the sculptural style of the Colima with its smoothly-modeled forms, burnished warm red hues, complex posture, theatrical gestures, and impassioned facial expression. An eye-opening example from this ancient shaft-tomb culture! Size: 8" W x 14.75" H (20.3 cm x 37.5 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.

The sculptural creations of Colima are quite distinctive with smooth, rounded forms presenting remarkable consistency in their warm russet red hues. In addition, the sculpture of Colima is known for a wide range of postures and expressions, making them quite intriguing to us, even some 2000 years after their origination.

Provenance: private Hawaii, USA collection; ex-private T. Misenhimer collection, Hollywood, California, USA, between 1960 to 2000

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#133793

Figure repaired from multiple pieces with some areas of restoration, resurfacing, and overpainting along break lines. Surface wear and abrasions commensurate with age, fading and smoke clouds to pigmentation, small nicks to legs, arms, body, head, and phallus. Nice craquelure to pigmentation in some areas, with light earthen deposits throughout.