A redware pottery head vessel depicting the wind god deity Ehecatl. He has a white painted face, and wears a wide brimmed, winged bird helmet. The lips of the god are gathered in a blowing gesture. An unusual and rare item in superb condition.
 
Pre-Columbian Mexico Colima culture: Circa 100 BC to 250 AD.
 
Very Fine condition, with scattered mineral deposits on the surface. A few minor restored chips on the head flanges, otherwise intact.
Height 17 cms (6.7 ins)
 
Provenance: Private Southwest collection. Ex. Federico Bermudez collection, acquired over 50 years ago. Compare with other examples in US museums: https://hudsonmuseum.catalogaccess.com/objects/3726 https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/312576
 
As with other Colima deity effigy vessels, it would almost certainly have been made as a shaft-tomb funerary offering. The purpose is not known exactly but could have included acting as a symbolic container (wind, breath, or life force); holding ritual substances (liquids, food offerings) before being placed in the tomb or serving as a visual invocation of Ehecatl's powers of breath, renewal, and transition, fitting with beliefs about the journey of the deceased.
 
See our blog post on Mesoamerica