Colima Dancing Man with a Basket on His Back - PF.2411,Origin: Western Mexico,Circa: 300 BC to 100 BC,Dimensions: 5.5" (14.0cm) high x 4" (10.2cm) wide,Collection: Pre-Columbian,Style: Colima,Medium: Terracotta. The state of Colima, located in the pacific coast region of West Mexico, derives its name from the large 13,000-foot-high volcano, "Colima," located within the area. Living in the shadows of this volcano between about 300 B.C. and 600 A.D., an ancient culture thrived, producing an extraordinary type of ceramic art, also known as "Colima." The terracotta sculptures created by these highly expressive people, revealed in this striking male figure, are filled with a timeless spirit and vitality. Intended for burial with the dead, these ancient figures accompanied the deceased into the netherworld, performing a complex number of social and religious functions. This distinctive figure, standing in a dancing posture, bends his knees and raises his ornamented arms in a most lively and musical fashion. While supporting a rounded, perforated vessel on his back, he lightly turns his head to the side, looking outward with beady eyes. His face and head are handsomely adorned with a nose ornament, earrings, a beaded necklace and a headdress. His waist supports a deftly sculpted layered loincloth, while hints of the original black striped paint can be seen on his arms, legs and face. To behold this ancient dancer is to feel and hear the ancient rhythms that moved an entire culture--potent rhythms that continue to enrapture us today.

Antiquities
Ancient Central America & Mexico