Description:

Pre-Columbian, Southern Mexico to Guatemala, Maya, Late Classic Period, ca. 550 to 900 CE. A hand-built pottery poison bottle with applied ribs along that body which lend a gourd or melon quality to the form. Traditionally, the petite jarlet vessels were known as "poison" or "medicine" bottles, in part because of their comparison to similar vessels used by other cultures, but further analysis suggests they may have had other uses. They are often found in the context of burials, filled with red pigment like cinnabar or hematite, but with the remains of other things underneath the pigment (as if they were used in life and then filled with pigment upon death). Their size indicates they held dear substances not required in large quantities such as poisons or medicines, but also perfume, tobacco, and ritual drugs like powdered mushrooms. Size: 2.2" Diameter x 2" H (5.6 cm x 5.1 cm)

Provenance: Private Lindenhurst, Illinois, USA collection, acquired in 2014 from Knox Artifacts Gallery, Scottsdale, Arizona, USA; ex-Dr. Stanley Boggs collection.

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#187814

  • Condition: Chip to rib, other wise intact and great condition. Mineral and earthen deposits on the surfaces.

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July 18, 2024 9:00 AM MDT
Louisville, CO, US

Artemis Fine Arts

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