Joseph Haddad, Los Angeles, acquired in the early 1970's
Sotheby's, New York, November 18, 1991, lot 102
American private collection, acquired from the above auction
By descent to the present owner

Excellent, remarkable condition of the body, face and overall figure. Only repair/restoration occurs on the PL foot, midway on the foot to the toes, has repaint and hard to determine if some original portion of the foot is there.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

“West Mexican cultures…devoted their talents to ceramics. No other pre-Columbian society exploited the plastic possibilities of clay to such an extent.” (Taylor 1981:18).

This unusual and graphic depiction of a shaman's induced hallucinogenic state is a masterful and playful use of the ceramic form. The figure, wearing the peaked cap typical of shaman, sits in a meditative trance; the sculpted face and clothing details contrast with the smooth and abstract spherical form of the torso. The body becomes the round gourd used in a shaman's ceremony. For ritual sculptures of figures blowing or sniffing substances from gourd containers, see Townsend ed. (1998:171, 175).
Recent scholarship by Christopher Beekman suggests that West Mexican figures may have been used for repeated events as 'performance pieces', indicated by the usewear on various ceramics, and the presence of pottery figures in household rather than mortuary contexts.

For a Colima figure wꦫith a highly extended ab♕domen, see von Winning (1974:Fig. 16).