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work of the month

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What do you see?
The Museum's Warrior with Club is a squat, reddish figure made of polychrome terracotta. Slightly bent with thick knees, the warrior is somewhat turned, looking off in the distance to his right. His feet are elongated in the back, possibly to add stability to the freestanding sculpture. While his genitals are exposed, a small conch shell at his waist conceals the navel. To protect his vital organs, the warrior wears a half-cover of basketry armor, its woven strands indicated by incisions and painted decoration. Traces of polychromy suggest that other garments might have originally been painted, rather than sculpted, onto the figure. Thin, short arms and tiny hands hold a club or mace. The warrior's face is characterized by a pointed chin, sharp nose with bone or shell nose ring, and slitted eyes that look as though they were swollen shut. His ears — complete with hole for the canal — are decorated with multiple earrings. Finally, the warrior wears a woven bicorn, or two-horned, helmet that resembles a modern-day bowler.

Polychrome terracotta - (Italian, "baked earth") Clay baked to become hard and compact, then painted with different colors.

What is "Nayarit"?
Nayarit is one of the modern states of Mexico, located in the west-central region bordering the Pacific Ocean. It is characterized by deep gorges and narrow valleys that cut through the Sierra Madre Occidental mountain range. Artists and archaeologists refer to the culture that flourished there in ancient times by its modern name, since very little information is known about the people themselves. In comparison with the high civilizations of the Olmecs, Maya, and Aztecs, the Nayarit culture - and other West Mexican sites such as Jalisco, Colima, and Mezcala - remains shadowed in relative obscurity. The geography of the area discouraged contact with the rest of Mesoamerica, where more developed civilizations flourished. There is no evidence that the people living in Nayarit utilized the calendrical systems that were so integral to other Mesoamerican cultures, and the art and architecture of the region do not appear to be related to contemporary cultures in Eastern and Central Mexico. Because of differences such as these, archaeologists have postulated that West Mexico was comprised of many small political and social units, in contrast to the large power centers in the east.

Mesoamerica - A united cultural region in parts of modern Mexico, Guatemala, and Belize that used the ritual 260-day calendar and where New World civilizations flourished for over 3000 years, from 1500 BC until the arrival of the Spanish.

What can we learn of the Nayarit people from the sculptures they left behind?
While we know very little about the social and political organization of West Mexico, the objects that the people left behind give us insight into their daily lives. Artifacts of great subtlety and craftsmanship were found in shaft tombs in Colima, Jalisco, Nayarit, and Mezcala. The terracotta sculptural figures are often large and hollow. Male figures are nude or clothed in hip-length, woven shifts that were decorated with brightly colored patterning. The genital area was left exposed or covered with a diaper-like cloth buckled in front with a sea snail shell. Nayarit females are often unclothed, but some figures wear a short grass skirt, sarong, or headband. Both men and women are adorned with multiple rings in their ears and noses, and many bear the mark of ritualistic facial mutilation on their cheeks.

Shaft tomb - A series of narrow burial chambers, located 3'-18' below ground, where multiple bodies were laid to rest along with large numbers of clay figures and pottery.

Warrior figures, such as the example here, donned armor and helmets made of basketry. The armor would have been woven from vegetable fibers, therefore making it lightweight for the wearer. The clubs and maces that warriors hold give them the appearance of ballplayers. Archaeologists have determined that ballgames were a prevalent diversion in Mesoamerica, and the depiction of ball courts and games by sculptors leave no question as to their popularity in Nayarit culture.

What characterizes the Nayarit artistic style?
The Nayarit style is characterized by expressive, active forms. The proportions of the figures do not reflect those found in nature; rather, the buttocks, legs, and feet are usually inflated, while the arms, facial features, and genitals seem miniaturized in comparison with the rest of the body. The Nayarit sculptor took special care to capture elaborate hairstyles by incising many fine lines, but eyes are usually only indicated by wide slits.Nayarit sculpture is best described as realistic and anecdotal. Unlike the artifacts of contemporary societies, it focuses on family life, occupations, and ceremonies rather than elite symbolism, deities, religious zeal, or symbolic concepts. This apparent lack of symbolism, coupled with the visual charm of the figures, adds to the appeal of West Mexican objects. Diego Rivera, an early/mid 20th-century muralist of the Mexican Renaissance and outspoken communist, developed an affinity for these “everyman” works. He avidly collected the art of West Mexico and used its forms in his murals. His large collection is now housed in the Anahuacalli Museum in Mexico City. The market demand for West Mexican works has contributed to the looting of shaft tombs, thereby destroying their archaeological value and hindering research. Modern forgers attempt to replicate the art of the Nayarit, and many museums and galleries unknowingly display counterfeit works.

What was the ball game?
In Mayan and Aztec cultures, the ball game was heavily influenced by religion and mythology. The ball, made of solid rubber, symbolized the sun and moon, while the courts represented the Earth. The goal was to maneuver the ball from one side of the court to the other through two stone rings on the side walls. Successful players became famous and were given rich rewards. Nobles and priests watched the games, and spectators placed wagers on their favorite teams. The Mayans and Aztecs took these matches very seriously, often gambling goods, land, and slaves. It was not uncommon for one of the losing players to be sacrificed – the player’s decapitated head was used as a trophy and often placed on a skull rack.


Timeline of other Mexican cultures

1700 – 100 BC	Prehistory
1500 – 300 BC	Olmec
100 BC – 900 AD	Classic Maya
900 – 1525 AD	Post-Classic Maya
1300 – 1525 AD	Aztec
1525 – 1810 AD	Colonial Era

— Kristi McMillan

SOURCES
Covarrubias, Miguel. Indian Art of Mexico and Central America. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1957.Ekholm, Gordon F., Marguerite W. Ekholm, and Jon Holstein. Ancient Mexico and Central America. New York: The American Museum of Natural History, 1970.Kan, Michael, Clement Meighan, and H. B. Nicholson. Sculpture of Ancient West Mexico: Nayarit, Jalisco, Colima. The Proctor Stafford Collection. Los Angeles: Los Angeles County Museum of Art, 1970.Miller, Mary Ellen. The Art of Mesoamerica from Olmec to Aztec. London: Thames and Hudson Ltd., 1986.Smith, Bradley. Mexico: A History in Art. Garden City, NY: Doubleday & Co., Inc., 1968.