*Couple de dignitaires assis

their bodies painted for a ceremony. They wear rich ornaments that are attributes of their important rank within the clan. The 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 intended to improve breathing in order to avoid suffocation. This couple personifies a fast that has reached its climax, probably intended to ritually purify the body and mind in a shamanic ritual. Brown hollow clay with orange brown slip and polychrome decoration. Good state of conservation Nayarit - Ixtlan del Rio style, Mexico, 100 BC - 250 AD 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 - Mermoz Gallery, 2002 Lot presented under the temporary importation regime This couple is a moving testimony of the ritual practices of this culture. It is distinguished by its state of conservation and the richness of the colours that adorn it.