Description
Reddish burnished terracotta figure of a standing Warrior, Pre-Columbian, Colima Culture, Ancient Mexico, c. 250 BC to 250 AD.
Size: 20” inches including museum quality stand.
Condition: Some repairs, small chips in areas but overall very good, commensurate with age.
The Colima Culture in Western Ancient Mexico developed over a period of more than 500 years and while we have no written records about its people, they have left us many telling examples of their ingenuity and artistic sensibilities. Their lives, their preoccupations and their customs are reflected in the wonderful examples of ceramic art that they left behind.
In the example on offer here, we have a standing warrior holding a club with painted horizontal striations. His attire is quite simple, reflecting the warm climate prevalent in this region to this day. He has a cape with a cord slung over his shoulders and a helmet or headdress made of woven raffia with distinct animal horns at the top. Also a simple cord around his waist with a cloth or animal hide flap at the front serve as a cover for his lower parts, while his face is adorned with a fitted nose ring and earrings in both ears.
The simple yet very graphic terracotta sculptures offer telling pictures of the people that lived in this part of Mexico at the time. These and the impressive shaft tombs they left behind provide a glimpse of their daily life and cultural preoccupations.
These wonderful and decorative sculptures are to be found in major museums throughout Mexico and the United States. For more information see:
and also,
