Large Nayarit House Model

James Bodishbaugh, Berkeley

The Miller Family Collection, Chicago, acquired from the above by April 16, 1969

Thence by descent to the present owner

Charming, detailed, and teeming with activity, the ancient architectural models from Nayarit serve as important illustrations of life in Mesoamerica centuries ago. As described by Patricia Joan Sarro and James Doyle, "[perhaps] more than any other tradition in ancient Mesoamerica, Nayarit models give the viewer a clear idea of the building types and other architectural features that do not survive the archaeological record, such as the complex geometric designs of the thatched roofs [...]. Nayarit models also provide a privileged view of the activities that occurred inside such structures" (“Monumental Imaginings in Mesoamerican Architectural Models” in Design for Eternity, Architectural Models from the Ancient Americas, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2015, p. 36). 

A variety of Nayarit models exists, indicating the diverse architecture of the region during this era. Protoclassic models range from small, open-sided platform structures, to large and regal two-storied, multi-roofed structures, such as this example. This grand building is composed of a large central structure and is flanked by two side buildings, each with peaked roofs decorated with remains of geometric designs. The numerous chambers, shadowed by the walls and eaves, beckon a close and curious exploration.

Many of the models document the elaborate preparation of and participation in feasting ceremonies; this particular model’s inhabitants relax in post-ceremony sleep, rest, and intimacy. There are four couples overall and a single prone figure who lies at the top of the steep, central stairs. He is flanked on each side ledge by a bird peeking outward. On the upper level, couples embracing under blankets occupy each side chamber while an amourous pair meet in the central room. The fourth couple is furtively linked at the base of the stairs; a lone dog lies as guardian in the opposite niche.

The important tradition in ancient West Mexican art of honoring the primordial couple and ancestral lineages, is reinforced on such a prominent structure filled with couples. Overall, architectural models like this one "clarify the connection between the sacred and the civic, the ritual and the quotidian, and in doing so underscore the domestic basis for all aspects of Nayarit society and belief” (Sarro and Doyle, p. 40).

Cf. For examples of very similar house models, see Richard Townsend, ed., Ancient West Mexico: Art and Archaeology of the Unknown Past, Chicago, 1998, p. 94, fig. 8, cat. no. 176 and p. 95, fig. 10, cat. no. 172. See also Hasso von Winning, Olga Hammer, Anecdotal Sculpture of Ancient West Mexico, Museum of Cultural History, Los Angeles, 1972, pp. 55-56, figs. 30-34.