Description:

Pre-Columbian, central Mexico, Aztec, post-classic period, ca. 1300 to 1521 CE. An evocative pottery antefix in the form of the defleshed head of Mictlantecutli, the Aztec god of death and the king of Mictlan, the lowest and northernmost section of the underworld. Depicted traditionally, Mictlantecutli presents a skull-like visage with a wide, toothy grin and a nasal bridge with no nose yet still each eye socket contains a bulging eyeball as he gazes maniacally forward. The verso of his head extends to form a hollow tube, perhaps for attachment to another object or to serve as a vessel. Size: 7.5" L x 3.2" W x 4.1" H (19 cm x 8.1 cm x 10.4 cm); 8" H (20.3 cm) on included custom stand.

Provenance: private New York, New York, USA collection; ex-Orlando, Florida, USA collection; ex-Art Blackburn, Marfa, Texas, USA; ex-Constance McCormick Fearing estate, Santa Barbara, California, USA, from before 1960

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#183989

  • Condition: Chip to proper left eyebrow, and eye, as well as old chips to a few teeth and area below left eye. Nicks and abrasions to surface as shown, commensurate with age, but otherwise intact and excellent. Earthen encrustations to surface.

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February 22, 2024 8:00 AM MST
Louisville, CO, US

Artemis Fine Arts

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