Ancient Pre-Columbian Nayarit Painted Pottery Warrior Figure, 100 BC

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About the Item

An ancient Pre-Columbian Nayarit figure of a warrior, dating to the Proto-Classic period, 100 BC-250 AD. A long serpent-like face, grinning through the fleshy lips, with a set of prominent teeth and the eyes set impossibly wide on the head – there is something discordant, even monstrous about this figure. Each component seems at odds with the other; be it the gaunt expression with the broad muscular torso or the thick-set legs with the emaciated arms. Yet to dismiss the art of the Nayarit as unaccomplished is to miss its purpose; these figures were never meant to be beautiful, they were meant to convey a sense of power. Standing on claw-like feet, brandishing a short knife and decorated with a deep ochre pigment, this warrior has an undeniable energy, an energy that seems to bleed from the clay itself. Nayarit figures form part of the mysterious shaft tomb culture of ancient Western Mexico, displaying all aspects of ancient life, from ritual ceremonies to grand feasts, warriors to simple family scenes. Little is known about ancient Nayarit life beyond these enigmatic figures and the society itself remains a mystery. The discordant facial expressions of figures such as this have in some quarters been advanced as evidence of shamanism. Haunting and intense, their true identity remains lost in the distant, unknown past. Exhibited: Princeton, Princeton University Art Museum, The Stanley J. Seeger Jr. Collection, 1961, no.153, illustrated. Published: Kelleher, P.J. 1961. The Stanley J. Seeger Jr. Collection. Princeton University Press: Princeton. Provenance: From the collection of Mr S. Seeger. Mr Seeger was a well-known art collector with a keen eye and ample financial means. This piece was exhibited, along with other examples of his Pre-Columbian art, at Princeton University in 1961. The following quote is from the exhibition catalogue, scans of which can be provided to the new owner upon request: "Especially choice, also, in the collection is a remarkable group of Pre Columbian sculptures purchased by Mr Seeger from the distinguished collection of the late Keith Warner." Kelleher et al., The S.J. Seeger collection, Princeton, 1961. Inside jacket cover.

Dimensions:
Height: 23.75 in (60.33 cm)
Place of Origin:
Mexico
Period:
18th Century and Earlier
Date of Manufacture:
100 BC-250 AD
Condition:
Minor losses. Restored from fragments with some overpainting. Losses to proper left arm and nose.
Seller Location:
London, GB
Reference Number:
1stDibs: LU105221287834

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