Colima Seated Redware Figure

Beautifully aged with a rich patina and pitted wear, this seated ceramic male figure is attributed to the Colima region of Western Mexico. The stylized form of this male figure follows the conventions of Colima pottery, emphasizing squat bodily proportions, incised facial features and round ear piercings. The ceramic form is finished with a layer of red clay slip, now worn smooth with wonderfully mottled dark color. A spout emerges at the head of the figure, indicating this figure doubled as a vessel for water or other liquids.

The figure is seated in a forward-leaning posture and a hunchback form, suggesting the sculpture depicts an individual with a spinal abnormality. There are many surviving anthropological figures from early civilizations providing evidence of individuals living with various spinal dysraphisms, and it is widely considered that these individuals were believed to have special access to the divine or supernatural.