Description:

Pre-Columbian, West Mexico, Colima, ca. 300 BCE to 300 CE. A hand-built terracotta flute in the form of a sinuous, slithering serpent with applied details and four pitch or sound holes. In the Pre-Columbian world, snakes and lizards were metaphors for rain and blood, two life-giving fluids. At the same time, serpents were viewed as creatures that portend great danger. Their ability to shed their skin each year, and thus rejuvenate themselves, also made them a symbol of health and renewal. Nicely burnished and still produces a lovely tone. Size: 7.5" H (19 cm); 8.5" H (21.6 cm) on included custom stand.

Provenance: private Stagecoach, Nevada, USA collection

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#128749

  • Condition: Generally excellent with nice burnishing marks. Works well.

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November 9, 2017 8:00 AM MST
Louisville, CO, US

Artemis Fine Arts

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