Colima Sculpture of a Standing Man Holding Rattles - PF.1976,Origin: Western Mexico,Circa: 300 BC to 300 AD,Dimensions: 6.125" (15.6cm) high x 2.5" (6.4cm) wide,Collection: Pre-Columbian,Style: Colima,Medium: Terracotta. Nude, saved for a broad red sash, this little figure nonetheless radiates an aristocratic air. Something in his pose, his bearing, the shape of his nose suggests that he is used to power and privilege. Centuries ago, he was probably placed in a shaft tomb by someone quite like him in demeanor. His function was to accompany the deceased through eternity, a kind of substitute for the person who offered him. We know little else about those individuals, not their names or their status, yet in the presence of this figure we understand their essential humanity.

Antiquities
Ancient Central America & Mexico