Lot 45, Auction 4/20/2026: Lot of 3 Colima, Michoacan, & Tlatilco Pottery Figures

$292.50

In stock

Pre-Columbian, Central Mexico, Tlatilco culture, Early Preclassic period, ca. 1200 to 800 BCE; West Mexico, Michoacan, ca. 500 to 100 BCE; Colima, ca. 200 BCE to 200 CE. A compelling grouping of three pre-Columbian Mexican pottery figures, each representing a distinct regional tradition and aesthetic language across ancient Mexico. The tallest figure, attributed to the Colima culture of West Mexico, dates to the late Preclassic to Early Classic period and stands with confident poise, its legs elongated and tapering, and its arms crossed across the chest in a gesture of composure or authority. The figure wears a headdress and loincloth, with applied circular elements at the hips and ears. Colima sculptors are celebrated for their lively figural traditions, often associated with shaft tomb contexts, and this example reflects that heritage in its strong silhouette and quiet, commanding presence. The mid-size standing figure, attributed to Michoacan, presents a more compact and boldly stylized form. Size of largest: 2.1″ W x 5.3″ H (5.3 cm x 13.5 cm)

With a broad face, prominent earspools, and a cap-like headdress, the figure communicates personality through simplified geometry and direct frontality. The modeling emphasizes clear volumes and graphic facial features, traits often seen in later West Mexican ceramic traditions. The smallest piece, a Tlatilco head from Central Mexico, offers a glimpse into one of the earliest and most influential figurative traditions in Mesoamerica. Softly modeled and intimate in scale, it reflects Tlatilco’s enduring interest in human identity and expressive portraiture, distilled into a compact sculptural fragment. Together, these three works form a miniature survey of regional style, spanning the Formative period through later ceramic traditions, and highlighting the remarkable diversity of pre-Columbian Mexican figural art.

Condition: Tlatilco head is a fragment form a larger piece; two others are intact. All have light surface wear, but otherwise present nicely with good detail and scattered earthen deposits.

Provenance: private Sheffield, Massachusetts, USA collection

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