Date of Award

12-2025

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts in Art History and Visual Culture

Department

Art

First Advisor

Khristin Landry

Second Advisor

Sarah Cantor

Abstract

This paper investigates the origins and functions of Late Preclassic Colima ceramic figurines from West Mexico through a case study approach. It argues that key stylistic features of the Colima canon have roots in the Early Preclassic period, particularly through the comparison with figurine examples from the site of El Opeño. The study further examines the role of these figurines within mortuary contexts, interpreting them as representational vessels of real individuals used in ancestral remembrance practices. Although many Colima figurines are well represented in museum collections today, their original contexts were often lost due to early twentieth-century looting. Recent excavations of figurines found in situ, however, have provided new evidence that is cross-examined by Indigenous traditions for understanding their cultural functions. This study aims to refine the place of Colima figurines within long-standing West Mexican traditions surrounding death and ancestry and provide an opening to connections for earlier and modern-day connections.

Research Highlights

  • The Problem: The study investigates the obscure origins and functions of Late Preclassic Colima ceramic figurines from West Mexico, addressing the loss of archaeological context due to early twentieth-century looting and defining their role within mortuary traditions. 

  • The Method: The research employs a case study of two specific Late Preclassic figurines (Seated Male Figure and Female Figure) using comparative formal analysis against Early Preclassic examples from El Opeño, alongside contextual analysis of burial data and ethnographic comparison with Purépecha, Huichol, and Tarahumara ancestral practices. 

  • Quantitative Finding: Chronological analysis traces the Colima style roots to El Opeño (ca. 1500–1200 BCE), establishing a lineage to the Late Preclassic period (ca. 300 BCE–250 CE); statistical data indicates that 75% to 90% of Colima shaft tombs contain ceramic dogs, supporting the theory of ceramic effigies as spirit guides. 

  • Qualitative Finding: The thesis concludes that Colima figurines functioned as representational vessels of real individuals used in ancestral remembrance—similar to modern ofrendas—rather than deities, evidenced by their individualistic features and discovery across diverse burial types without limitation to elite social classes. 

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