Mexico, Jalisco culture, Ameca style
Seated “storyteller” figure
c. 100 B.C.­250 A.D.
Earthenware
ht.: 55.9 cm
Estate of Ruth Falkenau, 1989.83

This male storyteller figure comes from the western coast of Mexico. It was one of many small ceramic figurines buried in an underground tomb chamber. Typically, the small sculptures placed with the dead emphasized daily life and included houses, animals, and human figures like this storyteller.

Before the development of writing, storytellers were very important, because they learned and passed down the history and beliefs of their people. What stories are told and passed down in your family or community?