This ceramic ‘host’ figurine dates to 250–600 AD and originates from Campeche, Mexico, reflecting the artistic influence of Teotihuacan across Mesoamerica.

Uniquely, the figurine contains several smaller mold-made figurines and medallions attached inside its hollow body, suggesting a ritual or symbolic function, possibly related to 𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺, protection, or ancestor veneration.

This sculpture depicts a seated male figure with crossed legs and hands resting on his knees. It features a removable chest plate that reveals small mold-made figurines and medallions attached inside the hollow body. The main figure is nude except for a broad collar made of circular appliqués and large earflares. Traces of red pigment show that it was once vividly painted, and remnants of pyrite indicate that the eyes were originally inlaid with this reflective mineral. His distinct hairstyle is neatly incised—a row of short bangs framing the face and longer strands falling to the shoulders at the back.

Inside the sculpture, two small figures lie flat within the upper legs, while a larger figure stands within the torso cavity. This interior figure wears an elaborate butterfly headdress with feathered eyes and a curled proboscis motif, along with a butterfly-shaped nose ornament and a wide collar composed of U-shaped forms. These elements may symbolize a necklace made of human jawbones, similar to those discovered in burials of sacrificed warriors. The removable chest plate also bears the head of another figure wearing a butterfly nose ornament, facing the larger figure within.

Originating from the Pacific Coast region of Guatemala, this remarkable composition belongs to a style known as the “host figure.” Its artistic and symbolic connections link it to Teotihuacan, the great metropolis of central Mexico—some seven hundred miles to the northwest—where such hollow figures are believed to have originated.

“Host” figures were likely used in private ritual contexts, with the inner figures revealed at key moments. They reflect profound Mesoamerican concepts of personhood and spirituality, expressing the belief that an inner essence—whether ancestral, divine, or elemental—resided within every human being.