Standing couple "tomb guardians" ·  Mexico, West, Nayarit · ID: 3038620

Description

fired red clay, remains of red, black and white paint, matching pair of hollow figures, both bent forward with extremely slanting backs, big feet with vaulted soles, the lower nose rim skewed so that the nares catch the eye of the viewer, both figures show a decorative interplay of smoothened/painted parts with areas which remained natural/structured with incisions, black resist circular pattern on the female’s buttocks, openings on top of the heads, mineral deposits, slightly dam., rep. (toes);
“tomb guardian” figures should ritually protect the dead from evil forces. The male figure wears armour (probably made of basketry) and club. The two-horned helmet indicates the shamanistic nature of his character.

The object Standing couple “tomb guardians” with the object ID 3038620 was last part of the auction 80th Tribal Art Auction at June 27, 2015 on Zemanek-Münster Auction house and had the lot number 104.

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Comparing literature

Holsbeke, Mireille (ed.), Offerings for a new life, Antwerp 1998, ill. 68