You must join the virtual exhibition queue when you arrive. If capacity has been reached for the day, the queue will close early.
Return to Heritage of Power: Ancient Sculpture from West Mexico
Heritage of Power: Ancient Sculpture from West Mexico
The Andrall E. Pearson Family Collection
Seated Female Figure, 200 B.C.–A.D. 300
Comala style, Colima
Ceramic; H. 14 1/4 in. (36.2 cm), W. 7 7/8 in. (20 cm)
The Andrall E. Pearson Family Collection Description
Sculpturally compact, the poised female figure rests quietly, leaning on her left hand. Her wraparound skirt, reaching from waist to ankle, is clearly indicated. A simple string of beads surrounds her neck.
Seated Ballplayer, 100 B.C.–A.D. 300
Ameca-Etzatlán style, Jalisco
Ceramic; H. 19 5/8 in. (49.8 cm), W. 13 in. (33 cm)
Players of the ancient ball game had special status in West Mexico. A competitive game of ritual significance, it was played with a large rubber ball like the one represented here.
Two Warriors with Spears, 100 B.C.–A.D. 300
Ceramic; Left: H. 16 5/8 in. (42.2 cm), W. 10 1/8 in. (25.7 cm); Right: H. 17 5/8 in. (44.8 cm), W. 9 1/8 in. (23.2 cm)
Warriors, depicted by West Mexican societies complete with weapons and body armor, were important to the well-being of early communities. Distinction and high rank resulted from success in fighting.
Architectural Model with Figures, 100 B.C.–A.D. 200
Ixtlán del Río style, Nayarit
Ceramic; H. 12 in. (30.5 cm), W. 10 1/4 (26 cm), D. 6 3/4 in. (17.1 cm)
A two-story house, with intersecting rooms and a complex roofline, is the scene of a ritual feast in which the dead, presumably family members, are honored.
Ancestor Pair Seated on Stools, A.D. 100–400
Coahuayana style, Colima
Ceramic; Male: H. 21 7/8 in. (55.6 cm), W. 16 1/4 in. (41.3 cm); Female: H. 20 1/2 in. (52.1 cm), W. 10 1/2 in. (26.7 cm)
Sitting on stools that proclaim their high rank, this ancestor pair is nude, and each holds out an empty food plate. In their calm stylization, they appear disengaged from everyday life.
Standing Female Figure, A.D. 100–400
Nayarit style, Nayarit
Ceramic; H. 23 in. (58.4 cm), W. 12 in. (30.5 cm)
This mature yet elegant figure is an example of a well-dressed Nayarit woman of the early first millennium A.D. She wears ornaments on her neck, ears, arms, and nose, and a painted pattern adorns the lower portion of her face. A decorated headband holds her hair in place.