GARDE

GARDE

*A pair of dignitaries sit with their bodies painted for a ceremony. They are adorned with rich ornaments that reflect their high rank within the clan. Their ribs and spines are marked in relief as a sign of fasting. Their open mouths are adorned at the corners of the mouth with a labial ornament designed to improve breathing and prevent suffocation. This couple personifies a fast that has reached its climax, probably intended to ritually purify body and spirit in a shamanic ritual. Hollow brown terracotta with orange-brown slip and polychrome decoration Nayarit - Ixtlan del Rio style, Mexico, 100 B.C. - 250 A.D. 31.8 x 14.4 x 24.7 cm ; 28.1 x 14 x 24.7 cm Provenance : - Former Yvon Collet collection since 1965 - Former R. A. Jankaegt since 1985 - Galerie Mermoz, 2002 This pair is a moving testimony to the ritual practices of this culture. It stands out for its state of preservation and the richness of its colors.