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Vessel in the form of a seated man Thumbnail
Vessel in the form of a seated man Thumbnail

Vessel in the form of a seated man

Colima (Artist)
100 BC-AD 300 (Comala Phase)
earthenware, burnished light brown and red slip paint, with incising
(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.

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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.

2009.20.289

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  • Wednesday—Sunday: 10 a.m.—5 p.m.
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600 N. Charles St.
Baltimore, MD
21201

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410-547-9000

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