Description:

Pre-Columbian, West Mexico, Colima, ca. 300 BCE to 300 CE. An endearing hand-built terracotta turtle effigy vessel depicting a tortuga crawling upon delineated feet, with a tall, wide spout emerging from his back, and an adorable short tail sticking out from its rounded shell. Apparently a happy turtle, his head presents a smiling visage with incised large, circular eyes and a slit mouth that is slightly upturned at the corners. In the Pre-Columbian world, turtle imagery represented the watery surface separating the sky from the underworld. In addition to its earth metaphor, turtles were symbols of fertility. Terracotta sculptural representations of turtles are among the many animal effigies created by ancient artisans inspired by the natural world of West Coast Mexico. Size: 7" L x 4.25" W x 4.125" H (17.8 cm x 10.8 cm x 10.5 cm)

Provenance: Ex-Private Southern CA collection

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#116915

  • Condition: A small scratch to inner rim. Else intact. Nice burnishing marks and manganese deposits across the surface as well.

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October 10, 2016 7:00 AM MDT
Louisville, CO, US

Artemis Fine Arts

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