Exhibition Browse: West Mexico - Ritual and Identity

This exhibit examined and interpreted the art and artifacts of the shaft tomb culture that flourished in West Mexico 300 BC-500 AD, bringing together the most current research from the field, scientific laboratories and objects to re-create life, death and ritual.

With large scale murals of these settlements complementing the objects on display, the exhibition examined the various forms of sculpted vessels, paying particular attention to the human forms, which tell a rich story of a culture predating the more widely known Aztecs, but equally as fascinating and arguably more influential.

41 Items

San Sebastian style hollow kneeling female ceramic effigy

Funerary sculpture. Lagunillas style. Hollow construction. Kneeling woman effigy. Sculpted arm bands, earrings, nose ring, and hair adornment.

Ixtlan del Rio style hollow female ceramic effigy

Funerary sculpture. Ixtlan del Rio style. Hollow construction. Seated female with bowl at shoulder. Painted articles of adornment include patterned dress and neck decorations. With sculpted earrings, nose ring, and twisted hat. Sculpted teeth. White painted eyes. See 54.4069 for matching male effigy. “Marriage pairs” are common within the Ixtlan del Rio style.

Ixtlan del Rio style hollow male ceramic effigy

Funerary sculpture. Ixtlan del Rio style. Hollow construction. Seated male with hat. Raised symbol of status in hand. Remnants of black pigment over entire surface. Painted eyes. Sculpted teeth, earrings, and nose ring. See 54.4068 for matching female effigy. “Marriage pairs” are common within the Ixtlan del Rio style.

In the style of an Ameca-Etzatlan style hollow male ceramic figure sculpture

Modern fabrication of a ceramic figure in the Ameca-Etzatlan style. Hollow construction. Seated male effigy. Sculpted earrings and hat.

Solid ceramic human standing human figure

Funerary sculpture. Ceramic human effigy.

San Sebastian style hollow seated female ceramic figure

Funerary sculpture. Lagunillas style. Hollow construction. Kneeling woman effigy. Sculpted earrings, necklace, and hair adornment. Painted body designs.

Huichol Yarn Painting

El Volcán

Cabeza de Indio

Ixtlán del Rio style hollow ceramic figure

Comala hunchback male dwarf figure

Funerary sculpture. Comala style. Hunchback dwarf. Perforated ear lobes. Large flange on top of head.

Comala style twin dog effigy vessel with two heads and two tails

Large red-brown vessel with head, legs, & tail of two dogs. Opening at the top

Ceramic reclining dog figure with humanoid hand

In the style of a Comala style funerary dog effigy. Body curved to form a “U”. Large flange at body center. Mottled surface.

In the style of a Coahuayana style female figure supported by arms and legs

In the style of a Coahuayana style funerary ceramic effigy vessel. Modern female effigy vessel with arms and legs forming vessel base. Flange at effigy center. Painted designs about surface. Sculpted earrings and shoulder decorations.

Large chipped obsidian spike

Obsidian spikes such as this one may have been used in blood-letting rituals that were part of Mesoamerican religion. Kings, priests, warriors and other high status individuals sacrificed thier own blood as well as the blood of others.

Large bi-facially chipped obsidian blade

Large obsidian blade.

Comala style tripod jar in the form of a squash with animal heads as the legs

Funerary sculpture. Ceramic jar. Comala style. Tripod squash vessel with dog head effigy legs. Large flange on neck.

Tuxcacuesco-Ortices style, a "Teco" variant, solid female figurine strapped to a litter

Funerary sculpture. Ceramic effigy “sick bed.”

Ixtlan del Rio style hollow seated ceramic female figure carrying vessel at left shoulder

Funerary sculpture. Ixtlan del Rio style. Hollow construction. Seated female with cup at shoulder. Painted articles of adornment include plain white dress, arm bands, earrings, nose ring, and neck decorations. White painted eyes. Incised hair.

Red-brown clay dog head with incised eyes and mouth and large oval eyes

Long flat head and angular spout in rear.

Gilcrease Museum is temporarily closed for construction.

Gilcrease Museum

The World’s Largest Collection of Art and Artifacts of the American West