Ameca-Ezatlán Style Jalisco Terracotta Seated Warrior Holding a Spear and Shield - PF.5536, Origin: Western Mexico, Circa: 300 BC to 300 AD, Dimensions: 12.5" (31.8cm) high x 9" (22.9cm) wide, Collection: Pre-Columbian, Style: Ameca-Ezatlán, Medium: Terracotta. Although seated, this warrior remains fierce and ever vigilant with wide, open eyes. A suit of armor covers his torso, wrapping around his neck like a necklace. His shoulders are decorated with a pattern of bumps in the armor that protrudes in the back like a tail. The red paint on his legs signifies his flesh when compared to the armor. He brandishes a broad pointed spear and a wide rectangular shield painted with red triangles once outlined in black. Yet, the main feature of this sculpture is his large head, elongated in typical Jalisco style. He wears a crown woven around his head. His ears and nose are both adorned with jewelry. All this detail could very well symbolize his rank and order like pins and medals do today. Yet this warrior’s job was not to attack rival civilizations or to defend his home city; he served a greater purpose than the terrestrial battles that plague this world. This warrior was a defender of the afterlife, buried along the deceased to frighten away malevolent spirits. Thus, he will guard tomb for all eternity, protecting the dead from the unknown evil we all fear. Perhaps this warrior can protect us in life as well as in death.

Antiquities
Ancient Central America & Mexico