Lot 17

Jalisco Tala-Tonala Sheepface Pottery Male Figure

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Lot 17
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Jalisco Tala-Tonala Sheepface Pottery Male Figure
Jalisco Tala-Tonala Sheepface Pottery Male Figure
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Jalisco Tala-Tonala Sheepface Pottery Male Figure

Estimate: $800 - $1,500
by Artemis Fine Arts
June 25, 2026 9:00 AM MDT (In Progress)
Live Auction
686 S. Taylor Avenue
Suite 108
Louisville, CO, US 80027

Pre-Columbian, West Mexico, Jalisco, Tala-Tonala style, ca. 200 BCE to 300 CE. A spirited standing male figure modeled in the classic Tala-Tonala manner, his body formed from warm red clay and enlivened with white painted details. Known as a sheepface type for its distinctive elongated snout and subtly flared cheeks, this figure radiates the playful solemnity so characteristic of Jalisco sculpture. His short, sturdy legs support a stocky torso, while his arms stretch outward as if caught mid-gesture, animated by a personality ancient yet wonderfully familiar. Across his chest hangs an animal-skin garment, painted with a cascade of round white spots and draped diagonally from shoulder to waist. That pelt ends just above the figure's proudly raised phallus, a feature often interpreted as a symbol of generative force, virility, or ancestral potency. As in many West Mexican traditions, fertility, costume, and identity weave together into a single expressive form. Size: 5.5" W x 10.4" H (14 cm x 26.4 cm)

His head, elongated and theatrical, tapers upward into an elaborate headdress: a tall, twisting arrangement of modeled clay coils and ridges that crowns the figure with ritual presence. The exaggerated facial features - narrow eyes, broad snout, pierced ears bound by ring-like ornaments - suggest a costume or mask rather than a literal animal form. These sheepface figures often blend human and creaturely traits, creating hybrid identities that may allude to performers, shamans, or ancestral beings participating in ceremony.

The red slip surface, once burnished, still carries its warmth, and the pale painted lines along the face and torso strike a rhythmic balance against the darker clay beneath. Typical of Jalisco artistry, the body is solid and weighty, the legs slightly bowed, the proportions stylized in a way that emphasizes gesture over anatomical realism. Figures like this one were placed in shaft tombs, standing as guardians or companions for the dead, emissaries to the ancestral realm whose vivid individuality bridges earth and the unseen world. This example captures that spirit beautifully: lively, enigmatic, and steeped in the visual traditions of ancient West Mexico.

Provenance: private Colorado, USA collection; ex-private Los Angeles, California, USA collection; ex-major gallery, Beverly Hills, California, USA, primarily acquired between 1985 and 2005

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Item # 199735

  • Condition: Professionally repaired and restored with repainting and restoration over break lines. Light surface wear, but, otherwise, nice presentation with good remaining pigments and scattered earthen deposits.

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Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $299 $25
$300 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 $99,999 $5,000
$100,000 $199,999 $10,000
$200,000 + $20,000