Nayarit Pottery Seated Musician Drummer

West Mexico Protoclassic,  ca. 100 BCE to 250 CE.    Solid pottery figure seated with widely splayed legs, both arms resting over a cylindrical drum set between the knees. The head has a high conical headdress with horizontal cream bands and circular ear ornaments. The simplified, almost caricatured facial modeling with prominent nose and minimal eyes; compact pose is consistent with smaller Nayarit and related Chinesco‑type figures.

Size: 4.5 in (approx. 11.4 cm) high, a miniature variant relative to the more common 10–30 cm hollow tomb figures.

Likely a tomb or household votive figure representing a ritual musician; drummer figures are a recognized Nayarit subtype associated with ceremony and performance.

Provenance: From the estate of Dr. William K. Emerson (1925 – 2016), NYC.  Dr Emerson was Curator Emeritus at the American Museum of Natural History for four decades. Bill got his PhD at UC Berkeley before moving to NYC in 1955. Over a distinguished career he discovered and classified more than 100 species of mollusks on numerous voyages into the Pacific, published six books and 100 plus articles. Bill retired in 1995 as Chair of the Department of Invertebrates. He was an avid collector of pre-Columbian art throughout the 60s and 70s.  This was acquire from Kenneth Hartwell, From the estate of Dr. William K. Emerson (1925 – 2016), NYC.  Dr Emerson was Curator Emeritus at the American Museum of Natural History for four decades. Bill got his PhD at UC Berkeley before moving to NYC in 1955. Over a distinguished career he discovered and classified more than 100 species of mollusks on numerous voyages into the Pacific, published six books and 100 plus articles. Bill retired in 1995 as Chair of the Department of Invertebrates. He was an avid collector of pre-Columbian art throughout the 60s and 70s.