Lot 119
Pre-Columbian, West Mexico, Colima, ca. 200 BCE to 200 CE. An adorable pottery incensario of a standing dog balancing a huge olla on his back. Gazing forward with bulging eyes above a tapered snout and a large, toothy mouth, the canine presents a portly body with a rotund abdomen and a thick tail curled inward. Round ears flank his petite head which is crowned by a tubular support helping to hold up the incensario. A fun and charming example from ancient West Mexico! Size: 12.5" L x 8.1" W x 13.5" H (31.8 cm x 20.6 cm x 34.3 cm)
Pottery canines like this one are the only remains that we have today of a sophisticated and unique culture in West Mexico - they made no above-ground monuments or sculptures, at least that we know of, which is in strong contrast to developments elsewhere in ancient Mesoamerica. Instead, their tombs were their lasting works of art: skeletons arrayed radially with their feet positioned inward, and clay offerings, like this example, placed alongside the walls facing inward, near the skulls. A large effigy like this one most likely would have flanked the entrance to a tomb in a way that archaeologists have interpreted as guarding. Some scholars have interpreted these dynamic sculptures of the living as a strong contrast to the skeletal remains whose space they shared, as if they mediated between the living and the dead.
Scholars know of at least two types of Colima dogs, one to be fattened up and ritually sacrificed or eaten and one to serve as a watchdog and healer of the ill. This plump hairless canine known as a Chichi or Escuintla is thought to be related to the Chihuahua or Mexican Hairless also known as the Xoloitzcuintle. The Xolo dog was named for the deity Xolotl, the God of the Underworld, and believed to guide the deceased as they journeyed to the afterlife. Colima vessels like this example were buried in shaft tombs to protect the deceased and provide sustenance for eternity.
Provenance: private Charlotte, North Carolina, USA collection, acquired from Arte Primitivo, New York City, New York, USA, December 12, 2016, Auction #83, lot 121; ex-private Nevada, USA collection; ex-Dr. David Harner collection, Arkansas, USA, 1950s - 1960s, collection#M17/C41
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#181374
- Condition: Professionally repaired with restoration over break lines; all done very well and difficult to notice. Some chipping to ears and light surface wear as shown. Otherwise, excellent presentation with nice manganese deposits in areas.
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