Lot 82
Pre-Columbian, West Mexico, Colima, ca. 200 BCE to 200 CE. An evocative pottery vessel in the form of the head of a shaman with pursed lips as though whistling and 2 vertical crests mounting the head. Supported by a thick neck, the ancient visage features a hypnotic countenance with petite, coffee bean-shaped eyes, a narrow, pointed nose, and sunken cheeks, all flanked by a pair of cupped ears. A tubular spout rises from the back of the head. Much of the religious practice of this culture and others in Mesoamerica involved shamans/priests entering an altered state, often through the use of strong alcohol or hallucinogenic substances. The blank eyes and agape mouth of the face suggest that this is a depiction of a religious trance. Size: 6.9" L x 6.8" W x 6" H (17.5 cm x 17.3 cm x 15.2 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 dead were buried down shafts - 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. This is a vessel likely made to be placed inside those mausoleums, perhaps to mediate between the worlds of the living and the dead.
Provenance: private Charlotte, North Carolina, USA collection, acquired May 31, 2007; ex-Marc Schmitt gallery, Amiguet's Unusuals, Evansville, Indiana, USA
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#181364
- Condition: Professionally repaired with restoration over break lines; all done very well and difficult to notice. Chipping with small loss to nose, as well as some nicks and abrasions to surface as shown, all commensurate with age. Otherwise, excellent presentation with nice remaining detail. Earthen encrustations to interior.
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