Creative Commons License
Creative Commons License
Creative Commons License
Vessel in the form of a seated man
(Ancient Americas )
This highly polished ceramic work is both a sculpture and a functional vessel. It shows a seated man, with a bunched fist or ball held in one hand and the other held to his mouth, either blowing a whistle or in the midst of ingesting something. This figure may show a shaman or warrior, due to his crested helmet. While the meaning of this vessel is somewhat elusive, these ceramics in general were used as grave offerings in the shaft tombs of West Mexico. There, families worked hard to build deep shafts from 10-30 feet into the ground, building burial chambers for their ancestors. They would be filled with replicas of food and family.
Provenance
Provenance (from the French provenir, 'to come from/forth') is the chronology of the ownership, custody, or location of a historical object. Learn more about provenance at the Walters.
John G. Bourne [date and mode of acquisition unknown]; by bequest to Walters Art Museum, 2017.
Geographies
Mexico, Colima (Place of Origin)
Measurements
H: 14 1/4 x W: 9 5/8 x D: 6 15/16 in. (36.2 x 24.5 x 17.7 cm)
Credit Line
Bequest of John G. Bourne, 2017
Location in Museum
Not on view
Accession Number
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
2009.20.289