Description:

Pre-Columbian, West Mexico, Colima, ca. 300 BCE to 300 CE. A remarkable hand-built and highly burnished pottery vessel with a round but stable base, a wide hip, a dramatic carination, a sloping shoulder, a squat neck, and a flared rim, all enveloped in a vibrant red slip. Size: 8.7" Diameter x 8.6" H (22.1 cm x 21.8 cm)

Colima, located on Mexico’s southwestern coast, was during this time part of the shaft tomb culture, along with neighbors to the north in Jalisco and Nayarit. In this culture, the deceased were buried down shafts – ranging from 3 to 20 meters deep – that were dug vertically or near vertically through the volcanic tuff that makes up the geology of the region. The base of the shaft would open into one or more horizontal chambers with a low ceiling. These shafts were almost always dug beneath a dwelling, probably a family home, and seem to have been used as family mausoleums, housing the remains of many related individuals. Vessels like this one were placed in the tombs in order to hold offerings.

Provenance: private Charlotte, North Carolina, USA collection; ex-Arte Primitivo, New York City, New York, USA, July 23rd, 2009, lot 351; ex-private New Jersey, USA collection; ex-Peter G. Wray collection; ex-Dr. David Harner collection, Arkansas, USA

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#181366

  • Condition: Professionally repaired with restoration and repainting over break lines; all done very well and difficult to notice. Some minor nicks and abrasions as shown, but otherwise excellent presentations with nice remaining pigments. Fire-darkening in areas.

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November 9, 2023 8:00 AM MST
Louisville, CO, US

Artemis Fine Arts

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