Description:

Pre-Columbian, West Mexico, Colima, ca. 200 BCE to 200 CE. "Somewhere over the rainbow, way up high . . ." Surely you know the reference - Dorothy and the Wizard of Oz. Colima sculptors created a vast array of vessel forms, including effigy representations of human figures, sea and land animals, as well as flora, fruits and vegetables. However, this piece stands apart for its rare and intriguing subject matter, a rainbow. I don't know that I have ever seen this form represented in Colima pottery. The closest approximation might be a redware acrobat in a backbend position that I studied once, but this piece is more abstract and stylized rather than figurative. The rainbow form repeats in four consecutive sections. At the center is an opening with a reversed rim. The piece shows brilliantly burnished red hues and nice areas of manganese blooms. Most of all it is a rainbow conjuring all those sweet associations that we connect to that wondrous arch of colors. Size: 6-3/4" x 5-1/4" (17 cm x 13.3 cm).

Provenance: Ex-private Olan collection, California, by family descent, acquired 1960 to 1970.

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#110208

  • Condition: Chips to rim and pressure hairline to underside. Otherwise intact and very good. Covered with manganese blooms.

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November 5, 2015 8:00 AM MST
Louisville, CO, US

Artemis Fine Arts

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Bid Increments
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$0 $299 $25
$300 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,000
$50,000 $99,999 $5,000
$100,000 $199,999 $10,000
$200,000 + $25,000