John Phillips writes: ‘I bought this sculpture on Ebay some time ago just because I really liked it, especially the colour & simplicity. He seems to have a Rabbit on his head, which I now know is quite an important symbol in Pre Colombian culture. I have searched online for months for anything that looks like it, but nothing quite fits. I have travelled quite extensively in Mexico & Central America and love the history and artwork produced, and realise the incredible diversity across the different cultures and timescales. Any light you could shed on this would be gratefully received. He weighes 14 oz. Not even worried if it’s a recent copy of something, I will still love it regardless.’
Mexicolore
3rd Nov 2019
It’s a lovely piece, and the body position, the loincloth and the overall look are Mesoamerican in style, but we suspect it’s a modern creation. The placing of the rabbit on the head could well be a representation of the ancient Mesoamerican concept of ‘nahual’ or animal/companion spirit/guide. Rabbit was one of the 20 Aztec calendar signs (and an important year-bearer sign too) and features in Aztec mythology, eg in the story of the creation of the fifth ‘Sun’.