Jalisco-Culture Ceramic Pre-Columbian standing clay figure - 40 cm
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€ 1
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Selected by Ruth Garrido Vila
Directed the Ifergan Collection Museum, specialising in Phoenician and Mediterranean archaeology.
Estimate € 3,300 - € 3,900
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Standing terracotta figure from the Jalisco culture in West Mexico, dating to about 100 BCE–300 CE, painted red and cream, measuring 40 × 20 × 10 cm, in good condition, identified as Präkolumbianische stehende Tonfigur and acquired in 2005 from a German auction house with provenance to a private collection and a previous owner from the USA in 1991, with attribution by Spencer S. Throckmorton in 1991.
AI-assisted summary
Description from the seller
It is a pre-Columbian standing clay figure from western Mexico, specifically from the Jalisco culture (El Arenal-Braun style). Such figures typically date from the Proto-Classical period, approximately from 100 BC to 300 AD.
Ceramic, painted in red and cream white, remaining details.
Expertise: Spencer S. Throckmorton, New York, April 11, 1991.
Provenance
Angela Henkel-Küsters, Düsseldorf, Germany
Purchased there from a German auction house.
Details about the figure
Origin: The figure was made in Jalisco, Mexico, and was part of the West Mexican shaft tomb tradition, where such objects served as grave offerings, possibly as companions for the afterlife.
Material and color: It is made of terracotta (clay) with traces of red pigment, which was commonly used in pre-Columbian art to symbolize life or ritual significance.
Features: The small bumps on the shoulders are characteristic of Jalisco art and are probably ritual keloid scarifications. A similar figure at the Art Institute of Chicago is described as a standing male figure holding a ball, which could suggest a connection to Mesoamerican ballgame.
The Jalisco culture belongs to the West Mexican shaft tomb cultures and flourished around 300 BC – 400 AD in the present-day state of Jalisco as well as parts of Colima and Nayarit.
Core characteristics
Shaft tombs: deep shafts with lateral chambers, often for family burials.
Clay figures: particularly well-known are expressive ceramic figures – couples, dancers, warriors, shamans, animals. They often appear very lively and individual.
Ceramic styles: red-brown vessels, polished surfaces, partly geometric painting.
Society & Religion: references to ancestor worship; figures often depict rituals, dances, or everyday life.
The culture was not organized as a central state like the Maya or Aztecs, but consisted of local communities with their own traditions.
Seller's Story
IMPORTANT NOTES: We are a Pre-Columbian Art Collector located in Germany with many years of experience in collecting and selling pre-columbian art.
We participates in the most important art fairs in Europe fairs like BRAFA, Parcours des Mondes, Cultures Brussels etc. in the past.
We are a professional seller. All items sold will come with their professional invoice.
All items we sold will come with their own Certificate of Authenticity (warranty document), including the description, image and provenance of the item.
All items will be shipped via private courier with insurance (DHL express or other similar with tracking number).
It is a pre-Columbian standing clay figure from western Mexico, specifically from the Jalisco culture (El Arenal-Braun style). Such figures typically date from the Proto-Classical period, approximately from 100 BC to 300 AD.
Ceramic, painted in red and cream white, remaining details.
Expertise: Spencer S. Throckmorton, New York, April 11, 1991.
Provenance
Angela Henkel-Küsters, Düsseldorf, Germany
Purchased there from a German auction house.
Details about the figure
Origin: The figure was made in Jalisco, Mexico, and was part of the West Mexican shaft tomb tradition, where such objects served as grave offerings, possibly as companions for the afterlife.
Material and color: It is made of terracotta (clay) with traces of red pigment, which was commonly used in pre-Columbian art to symbolize life or ritual significance.
Features: The small bumps on the shoulders are characteristic of Jalisco art and are probably ritual keloid scarifications. A similar figure at the Art Institute of Chicago is described as a standing male figure holding a ball, which could suggest a connection to Mesoamerican ballgame.
The Jalisco culture belongs to the West Mexican shaft tomb cultures and flourished around 300 BC – 400 AD in the present-day state of Jalisco as well as parts of Colima and Nayarit.
Core characteristics
Shaft tombs: deep shafts with lateral chambers, often for family burials.
Clay figures: particularly well-known are expressive ceramic figures – couples, dancers, warriors, shamans, animals. They often appear very lively and individual.
Ceramic styles: red-brown vessels, polished surfaces, partly geometric painting.
Society & Religion: references to ancestor worship; figures often depict rituals, dances, or everyday life.
The culture was not organized as a central state like the Maya or Aztecs, but consisted of local communities with their own traditions.
Seller's Story
IMPORTANT NOTES: We are a Pre-Columbian Art Collector located in Germany with many years of experience in collecting and selling pre-columbian art.
We participates in the most important art fairs in Europe fairs like BRAFA, Parcours des Mondes, Cultures Brussels etc. in the past.
We are a professional seller. All items sold will come with their professional invoice.
All items we sold will come with their own Certificate of Authenticity (warranty document), including the description, image and provenance of the item.
All items will be shipped via private courier with insurance (DHL express or other similar with tracking number).
Details
Culture
Jalisco-Culture
Century/ Timeframe
100 v. Chr. bis 300 n. Chr..
Name of object
Pre-Columbian standing clay figure
Acquired from
Auction house
Subject/Depiction
The figurine was made in Jalisco, Mexico, and was part of the western Mexican
Year acquired
2005
Material
Ceramic
Country acquired from
Germany
Condition
Good
Previous owner acquired from
Private collection
Height
40 cm
Previous owner - year acquired
1991
Width
20 cm
Previous owner - country acquired from
United States
Depth
10 cm
I verify that I have obtained this object legally and that I am allowed to sell it
Yes
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