Colima Redware Vessel - Man Holding Huge Phallus

Pre-Columbian, West Mexico, Colima, ca. 300 BCE to 300 CE. A hand-built and highly burnished redware pottery figure standing atop delineated legs and broad feet. The man leans slightly forward while supporting his back with one arm, wears a wide waistband as well as arm and ankle bangles, and grasps the head of his enormous phallus with his left hand. The dramatically turned head bears coffee-bean-shaped eyes on either side of a triangular nose, full lips, and a slightly furrowed brow, and a crested helmet features a diagonal spout projecting from one side. This piece was most likely used to pour ritualistic libations related to fertility, given the subject matter, and it exemplifies the Colima sculptural tradition with its complex posture, theatrical gestures, and expressive countenance. Size: 6.25" W x 9.5" H (15.9 cm x 24.1 cm).

Colima, located on Mexico's southwestern coast, was during this time part of the shaft tomb culture, along with neighbors to the north in Jalisco and Nayarit. In this culture, the dead were buried down shafts - 3 to 20 meters deep - that were dug vertically or near vertically through the volcanic tuff that makes up the geology of the region. The base of the shaft would open into one or more horizontal chambers with a low ceiling. These shafts were almost always dug beneath a dwelling, probably a family home, and scholars believe they were used as family mausoleums, housing the remains of many related individuals. This is a figure made to be placed inside those mausoleums, perhaps to mediate between the worlds of the living and the dead.

The sculptural creations of Colima are quite distinctive with smooth, rounded forms presenting remarkable consistency in their warm russet red hues. In addition, the sculpture of Colima is known for a wide range of postures and expressions, making them quite intriguing to us, even some 2000 years after their origination.

Provenance: private East Coast, USA collection; ex-Presence Des Arts, Paris, France, 1969

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#149770
Condition Report: Repair to tip of spout, with minor losses and light adhesive residue along break lines. Minor abrasions and encrustations to body, limbs, and head, with fading and fire-darkening to some areas of original pigmentation. Nice earthen deposits, root marks, and traces of original pigment throughout.