*Personnage assis

legs bent, head turned slightly to the left. The feet are superficially shaped, the toes evoked by grooves, and the thighs are wide. He is naked, his sex apparent, the belly slightly adipose with the navel hollowed out. The chest is marked. The powerful shoulders are extended by two long arms, the left of which is adorned with a bracelet. The left hand is resting on the knee, while the right hand hides the mouth. The man is wearing a pastillé necklace with an imposing central pendant. The elongated head is expressive. The mouth is only slightly visible, but the thin lips and the engraved teeth can be seen. The nose is long and aquiline. The eyes are small and coffee bean shaped. On the sides, the large ears each support three ornamental loops. The skull has been ritually deformed upwards and is encircled by a small headband that extends into a twisted shamanic horn. Beige hollow clay with beige and orange-red slip with significant traces of manganese oxide Jalisco, Mexico, 100 BC - 250 AD 55 x 35 x 30 cm Provenance : - Former Yvon Collet collection since 1968 - Former Mermoz Gallery collection since 2001 - Former Baron de Rotschild collection since 2003 The Jalisco culture developed in the west of Mexico, in the region corresponding to the current state of the same name, between 200 B.C. and 300 A.D. It belongs to the cultural group known as the "West Coast" to which the Colima and Nayarit cultures also belong. From an artistic point of view, the Jalisco culture produced mainly cultic ceramics depicting figures in a serene yet expressive attitude, illustrating sacred or everyday scenes, captured in the moment and characterized by a beautiful spontaneity. Like all the Jalisco pieces, this one was probably part of an offering to a high dignitary. Its quality of execution and its intense expression make it a very good example of Jalisco terracotta. Good state of conservation