Ancient Art, Antiquities, Books, Natural History, Stamps & Coins

Modelled as a trophy leg; burnished pottery vessel with a planar base, a bulbous body shaped like a human thigh, shin, and foot; stirrup-shaped handle with broad corners, cylindrical spout with a flared lip; the upper face with incised glyphs: abstract jaguar-human heads bearing rectangular eyes, curled noses and ears, and gaping, toothy mouths; from each maw a flowing life-force trail that merges with the back of the next head; further embellished with red cinnabar pigment contrasted with the coffee-colored body; professionally repaired and restored. 609 grams, 19 cm high



Hans Juergen Westermann, Germany, 1950s-1060s. Private collection, Hawaii, USA. with Artemis Gallery, 7 October 2020. Private collection, London, UK. Accompanied by a certificate of authenticity from Artemis Gallery.

A 'trophy leg' would occasionally be taken from a defeated enemy combatant along with the head.

Depicting a highly stylised anthropomorphic character standing frontally, with a disproportionately large head, schematic facial features, and arms crossed over the chest, with the hands carefully indicated; the hair, or possibly a close-fitting headdress, rendered by a series of deeply incised parallel groove; the body tapering to a conical lower section, emphasising the abstract character of the representation; dark grey to black firing, with traces of light-coloured mineral encrustations. 8.18 grams, 41 mm



Acquired on the European art market in 1990s. English private collection.

Comprising: a vessel fragment with a high-relief head with striated hair and large earrings; a hollow-form statue fragment of a female with a large headdress and a wide collar around her neck. 190 grams total, 5.7-13 cm



From the collection of a Cambridge, UK, gentleman, by direct descent from his father, who acquired the items in London in circa 1960.

Hollow-formed terracotta warrior in aggressive stance, holding a club menacingly in both hands, and wearing jewellery in the nose and ears, and a red loincloth knotted at the front, the face with painted detailing and a painted collar around the neck. 3.57 kg, 37.5 cm



Private collection of Leo (1922-1979) and Evelyn D. Farland (1930-2025), New York, thence by descent.

Jalisco warrior or guardian figures were produced to accompany and protect the deceased. The barrel-shaped armour and weapons adorning these figures offer a rare glimpse into how warfare may have been conducted in ancient west Mexico.