Dignitary in Headdress with Conical Shapes and Necklace Made of Shells or Pods

In the art of the shaft tomb people, the sitting position indicates high social status. It is possible that in combination with the foregoing, the remarkable conical protuberance that crowns the figure's chinstrap refers to religious duties, perhaps those of a priest. It is a distinctive attribute of the Comala style which originated in the valley of Comala, and from other stylistic modalities of the Colima zone. It is exclusive of male figures, which at times show several conical forms in the headdress. Among the options of what is represented are the apex of a conch shell, a horn, a section of antler, or a tusk, spine or scale; in either case, it would provide men with animal qualities of a supernatural nature.

From a current perspective, it is not easy to identify because the Comala style is characterized by synthesis, hence the tendency for smooth and monochrome surfaces, in reds, orange and brown, sometimes in subtle combinations, as well as the simplification of volumes. The other outstanding ornament, necklaces composed of five concave parts, can be said to represent bivalve mollusk shells. The association of conical-shaped elements with that which is masculine should be emphasized, while the symbolic charge of the underworld is widely recognized in shells, according to the Mesoamerica world view. The lower layer of the universe is aquatic in nature and therein resides the origin of the cosmos. The subterranean constructions that are shaft and chamber tombs are part of that mythical underworld, and shells and conchs, sculptures that represent them, ornamental and utilitarian objects made with this material were deposited in them in very large amounts which were reflected in turn in the sculptures of men and women who accompanied the deceased, even in territories far from the coast, which implies extensive exchange networks.

The luxurious attire is completed with a broad band covering the trunk; sgraffito motifs allude to weaving, embroidery or textile paint. He is semi-nude, but does not show genitals; it was unusual for these to be modeled in Comala. He is raising his right hand in an attacking gesture. It would seem that he is about to throw a spear at a spherical object that, beyond considering it a ball, could have served as a projectile. It is probable that this warlike attribute refers to features of the prestigious individual presented.

These sculptures surely accompanied their deceased to their final dwelling, a shaft and chamber tomb, and they would directly evoke those to whom they were dedicated as they were burial portraits. With a deep religious sense, this art materialized the endeavors of perpetuity of an ancient people of the West. Their purposes could have been retrospective or prospective. As Erwin Panofsky has pointed out, the first commemorate a past while through the second they seek to manipulate the future. It is likely that the two intentions were reflected in the sculptures in question, although in both purposes there is a claim which implies the superiority of culture over nature. One way in which this is revealed lies in that the disintegration of the body and even biological birth could be transcended by the reality created by art: they are sculptural images of enduring vitality. Among Mesoamericans, death did not exist as such, but as the prolongation of existence. Looking at this sculpture today, which is at least 1,400 years old and is so well preserved, reveals nothing more than the success of this endeavor of perpetuity.