Lot 70
Native American, Southwestern USA, Colorado, Anasazi/Ancestral Puebloans, ca. 1200 to 1300 CE. A charmingly decorated ceramic mug, made in the Mesa Verde Black-on-White tradition in what is today southwestern Colorado. Its surface is painted with a series of diamonds on a background of diagonal lines. Inside each diamond are two motifs that resemble snake heads. Size: 4.5" W x 3.25" H (11.4 cm x 8.3 cm)
Vessels like this one were made from a gray or white paste with angular fragments of temper and this one has a pearly gray-white slip that was then overpainted with a black pigment made from carbon. They were made by people who lived in cliff dwellings like those seen at Mesa Verde National Park - indeed at the Park, there is a large house containing 94 rooms, a kiva, and a water reservoir, known as Mug House because its European discoverers, Charles Mason and the Wetherill brothers, found three mugs hung in one of the rooms from a rope of woven yucca.
Provenance: ex-Joan Shaw collection, bought in 1971; loaned to the Mesa Verde Museum, 1962-1970; ex-Bill Mitchell collection, Cortez, Colorado, USA, acquired from 1958 to 1962
All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back.
A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids.
We ship worldwide and handle all shipping in-house for your convenience.
#147751
- Condition: Three shallow cracks from the drying process on the base of the mug. Otherwise in really nice condition with a few tiny chips and scratches commensurate with age. Firing mark on one side and old collection number handwritten on the underside. Pigment is nicely preserved.
Accepted Forms of Payment:
American Express, Discover, MasterCard, Visa
Shipping
Auction House will ship, at Buyer's expense
Artemis Fine Arts
You agree to pay a buyer's premium of 24.5% and any applicable taxes and shipping.
View full terms and conditions
| From: | To: | Increments: |
|---|---|---|
| $0 | $299 | $25 |
| $300 | $999 | $50 |
| $1,000 | $1,999 | $100 |
| $2,000 | $4,999 | $250 |
| $5,000 | $9,999 | $500 |
| $10,000 | $19,999 | $1,000 |
| $20,000 | $49,999 | $2,500 |
| $50,000 | $99,999 | $5,000 |
| $100,000 | $199,999 | $10,000 |
| $200,000 + | $20,000 |