Description:

Pre-Columbian, West Mexico, Colima, ca. 300 BCE to 300 CE. An impressive pottery whistle in the form of a ceremonial figure dressed in elaborate regalia with a flared, wing-like back panel surmounted by a dog. Determinedly gazing forward, the dancer wields a large club in both hands. The back panel of his loin cloth extends to act as a third leg for support as well as to form the whistle's mouthpiece, suggesting that beyond simply depicting ritual performance and regalia, this piece may have been used in a ceremony itself. Size: 2.1" L x 3.4" W x 5" H (5.3 cm x 8.6 cm x 12.7 cm)

Dances incorporating elaborate costumes or masks served as a platform for individuals to "take on the shape of supernatural beings and mythical ancestors and represent them as living characters on earth [...] The masked individual no longer has a human personality but puts his body and spirit at the service of a supernatural being which can thus manifest itself in a tangible shape" (Mireille Holsbeke and Karel Arnaut, Offerings for a New Life: Funerary Images from pre-Columbian West Mexico, Antwerp, 1998, p. 116).

Provenance: private Los Angeles, California, USA collection

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#189398

  • Condition: Still functions as a whistle. Professionally repaired with restoration over break lines. A few areas of chipping, as well as other age-expected surface wear, but otherwise very nice presentation.

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October 11, 2024 8:00 AM MDT
Louisville, CO, US

Artemis Fine Arts

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$100,000 $199,999 $10,000
$200,000 + $20,000