Lot 110
Pre-Columbian, West Mexico, Colima, Jalisco, and Michoacan, ca. 300 BCE to 300 CE. A beautifully composed group of four personal ornaments from ancient western Mexico, showcasing both ceramic and obsidian traditions from three regional cultures. At the top are two near-matching earspools from the Colima culture, molded from fine reddish clay and shaped as circular disks with raised frontal reliefs of expressive human faces wearing elaborate headdresses. Likely modeled in honor of ancestral figures or deities, the stylized visages feature parted lips and closed eyes in a state of serene contemplation. Below are two obsidian ornaments. The cylindrical plug with outward-flaring disk comes from Michoacan and is a classic example of a polished obsidian earspool. Its smooth form and subtle translucence reflect the lapidary skill long associated with Purepecha artisans. The other, a long, tapering tube with squared lip, is a rare obsidian labret from Jalisco, worn in the lower lip by individuals of high status. Size of largest (pottery earspool): 1.8" W (4.6 cm)
Together these four objects evoke the complex visual and social identities cultivated by West Mexican peoples during the Late Formative and Early Classic periods. They would have signaled rank, community, and ceremonial affiliation - petite in scale, yet rich in meaning.
Provenance: private Fort Collins, Colorado, USA collection, acquired via inheritance
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#195569
- Condition: Losses to one ceramic earspool and suspension hole to other; both have been repaired with break lines visible. Light surface wear to obsidian pieces, but otherwise intact with old collection labels on one side.
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