Lot 26
Pre-Columbian, West Mexico, Colima, Protoclassic Period, ca. 100 BCE to 250 CE. A hollow, hand-built ceramic vessel of a sizable form depicting a corpulent canine, one of the most famous of the classes of West Mexican shaft tomb culture artifacts. This playful dog vessel has a portly abdomen supported by four attenuated legs, a stocky neck, and a wide tail which doubles as the spout. The stylized head boasts incised almond-shaped eyes, a conical snout with impressed nostrils, an open, toothy mouth, and a pair of perky ears. Highly-burnished and covered in red slip, this is a wonderful example from ancient West Mexico! Size: 11.875" L x 5.25" W x 7.75" H (30.2 cm x 13.3 cm x 19.7 cm).
Scholars know of at least two types of Colima dogs, one to be fattened up and ritually sacrificed or eaten and one to serve as a watchdog and healer of the ill. This plump hairless canine known as a Chichi or Escuintla is thought to be related to the Chihuahua or Mexican Hairless also known as the Xoloitzcuintle. The Xolo dog was named for the deity Xolotl, the God of the Underworld, and believed to guide the deceased as they journeyed to the afterlife. Colima vessels such as this one were buried in shaft tombs to protect the deceased and provide sustenance for eternity.
A stylistically-similar example with an openwork mouth hammered for $5,400 at Christie's, New York "Pre-Columbian Art" auction (sale 1837, May 23, 2007, lot 82): https://www.christies.com/lotfinder/lot/colima-dog-protoclassic-ca-100-bc--4916346-details.aspx?from=searchresults&intObjectID=4916346&sid=919173ed-7f56-4b70-aa4c-56f9a625abe0
Provenance: ex-private Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA collection
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#142918
- Condition: Professionally repaired from multiple large pieces with light restoration, resurfacing, and overpainting along break lines. Minor abrasions on spout, body, legs, and head, with softening to some finer details, and small nicks to legs and head. Light earthen deposits and fabulous manganese blooms throughout.
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| 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 | $2,500 |
| $50,000 | $99,999 | $5,000 |
| $100,000 | $199,999 | $10,000 |
| $200,000 + | $20,000 |