Description:

Pre-Columbian, Costa Rica, San-Luis-Potosi, ca. 600 to 1100 CE. An iconographically rich lidded pottery incensario. Beyond the bowl and lid which are covered with multiple sharp nodes, is the jaguar pedestal, this mighty wild feline standing on all fours, his tail curled upward and connecting to the rim of the bowl serving as a handle, and his face emanating quite a personality with those applied bulging eyes framed by arched ears that meet in the middle to form a protruding, upturned nose, underscored by a full-lipped smiling mouth. His torso is slotted to allow smoke to flow freely. The lid features a seated simian creature with upraised knees, prominent genitalia and a pierced navel, a dynamic pose with his right arm reaching back to grab his long curly tail and his left hand placed upon his left knee; and finally that expressive visage with bulging eyes, small rounded ears, a wide nose, and open mouth. Rare to find, a two-part incensario, replete with a symbolic, aesthetic, and utilitarian value. Size: 8.25" L x 5.25" W x 9.875" H (21 cm x 13.3 cm x 25.1 cm)

Perhaps most interesting about this piece are the layers of meaning associated with its iconography. Jaguar imagery symbolized power and might throughout the Pre-Columbian world. Warriors, rulers, hunters, and shamans alike associated themselves with this king of beasts, the largest and most powerful feline in the New World. A nocturnal animal, the jaguar sleeps in caves and dark places and creeps quietly in the forest, evoking great mystery. Monkeys have always fascinated humankind, with their zany antics that seem to mirror and at times parody humans. Understanding simian creatures as mimics of human culture, most ancients of the Americas regarded the monkey as a mediary between man and the supernatural.

Provenance: Ex-Private Atlanta, GA collection, ex Vargas collection acquired 1960 to 1980

All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back.

A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids.

We ship worldwide and handle all shipping in-house for your convenience.

#117951

  • Condition: Normal surface wear and slip losses. Lots of caliche. Repairs to ears of jaguar. Possible repairs to face of monkey, but may simply be slip losses. The lid is missing one node and shows loss to a point on one or two other nodes. Bowl shows wear and minor losses to nodes.

Accepted Forms of Payment:

Discover, MasterCard, Visa

Shipping

All payments are due at the fall of the hammer unless otherwise specified. Please be aware of this. Most likely the card on file at auction registration will be charged for purchases, buyer premium and any other applicable fees. Late payments are subject to fees and penalties at the discretion of the Auction House. Be aware that invoice delinquency WILL lead to disabling of a bidder account and making all bidding unavailable through this online service. Payments unpaid or late will result in the account being sent to a collections agency. This can affect your overall credit scores for up to 7 years. Your bidder registration has been researched before approval for bidding at auction. The card provided on file was verified for identity purposes prior to approval. Lastly, chargeback's will not be accepted for any reason or on any purchase through this online service. No exceptions.

All property is sold "AS IS", and ALL SALES ARE FINAL. It is the Bidder's responsibility to determine condition, age, genuineness, value or any other determinative factor. Jacksons Auction & Real Estate Company may attempt to describe the merchandise in advertising, on the Internet and at the auction but makes no representations. In no event shall Jacksons Auction & Real Estate Company be held responsible for having made or implied any warranty of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. Bidder shall be the sole judge of value.

Bidders who bid from off site and are not present at the live auction or preview understand and acknowledge that they may not be able to inspect an item as well as if they examined it in person. It is the Bidder's responsibility to determine condition, age, genuineness, value or any other determinative factor. Jacksons Auction & Real Estate Company shall endeavor to describe in detail each item and any pertinent information about it. Jacksons Auction & Real Estate Company will not be responsible for any errors or omissions in the description of the merchandise unless it is a material and intentional misrepresentation of the item itself. Bidder agrees that everything is sold as is and that they may not return any item they purchase. Jacksons Auction & Real Estate Company is providing Internet pre-auction and live bidding as a service to Bidder. Bidder acknowledges and understands that this service may or may not function correctly the day of the auction. Under no circumstances shall Bidder have any kind of claim against Jacksons Auction & Real Estate Company or anyone else if the Internet service fails to work correctly before or during the live auction. Jacksons Auction & Real Estate Company will not be responsible for any missed bids from any source. Internet bidders who desire to make certain their bid is acknowledged should use the absentee bidding feature and leave their maximum bid 24 hours before the auction begins. Jacksons Auction & Real Estate Company reserves the right to withdraw or re-catalog items in this auction.

November 17, 2016 7:00 AM MST
Louisville, CO, US

Artemis Fine Arts

You agree to pay a buyer's premium of 24.5% and any applicable taxes and shipping.

View full terms and conditions

Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$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