Description:

Pre-Columbian, West Mexico, Colima, ca. 300 BCE to 300 CE. A delightful burnished red ceramic vessel in the form of a deer head, with the animal's eyes and mouth depicted as closed, its ears perked, and its antlers in their shortest stage of growth. A small circular opening sits at the top of the head, ready to receive or deliver liquid, probably something fermented made in offering to a grave. Deer had a sexual connotation in ancient Mesoamerica - that continues to this day in some Maya regions of Latin America - with the regrowth of their antlers symbolizing the cycle of new life. Marriage was sometimes likened to the deer hunt! A beautiful example of ancient naturalistic sculpture with hidden meaning! Size: 8.25" W x 5.45" H (21 cm x 13.8 cm)

Provenance: ex-Barakat Gallery, Beverly Hills, California, USA, acquired prior to 2000

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#155882

  • Condition: Underside of jaw and tip of nose have been expertly repaired and restored with limited overpaint along the repair lines. Tips of antlers are also lost and there is one chip from the rim. Otherwise in very fine condition with light deposits on surface.

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June 4, 2020 8:00 AM MDT
Louisville, CO, US

Artemis Fine Arts

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