This magnificent terracotta sculpture of a standing man brings us the precious clues of an Ancient culture that flourished more than a thousand years ago. Skillfully burnished, the sculpture is red-slipped in rich, earthy color the exquisite details depicted in the sculpture delight our eyes, while giving us clues about the significance of this Ancient person. Adorned with bodily decorations, the person must have been an important or an established figure in the Ancient village. He wears a headdress decorated with white paint and two oval attachments. Also, he wears ear spools, a nose ring, necklaces, and shoulder scarification. And against the rich, reddish surface glows a white painted cloth that is slung over the right shoulder. His bold face enhanced with painted patterns looks upward, with his eyes wide open. His mouth is also slightly open, revealing finely carved teeth. With every feature of the figure skillfully and attentively sculpted, the figure seems almost alive. Found in a shaft tomb in Ancient west Mexico, perhaps this sculpture possesses a benevolent spirit that accompanied the deceased into the underworld. As beautiful and special the sculpture is even today, it surely must have been the centerpiece of the funeral ritual. As we look into the figure, we can feel the Ancient spirits and hands that sculpted it so lovingly.