Lot 99
Pre-Columbian, Guatemala, ca. 550 to 900 CE. A finely hand-built square terracotta bottle stamped with the profile head of the esteemed deity Kukulcan or Ququmatz (Mayan names for the Aztec Quetzalcoatl) on each of its four faces; the boundaries between delineated by a lovely sinuous, wavy pattern perhaps alluding to the feathered serpent god. Size: 2-5/8" x 2" at widest (6.7 x 5.1 cm)
The etymology of Kukulcan is quite literal - kukul meaning feathered; can meaning snake. Early 9th century texts described Kukulcan as a Vision Serpent entangled with the figures of nobles. Serpents with their shedding of skin made them powerful symbols of renewal and regeneration. The feathers symbolized freedom to move between earth and the celestial world. Birds were cherished in the Pre-Columbian world as sky animals associated with the celestial realm -- the sun, the moon, and Venus -- where they were thought to act as messengers between the deities and humankind.
Kukulcan has been worshipped since the time of the Olmecs. In fact the earliest known rendering of the feathered serpent was depicted on Stela 19 La Venta, the legendary Olmec site. This deity evolved through the time of the Aztecs (who named him Quetzalcoatl) and came to be worshipped for many reasons, as the inventor of the calendar and books, the legendary presenter of maize, the god of wind, dawn, the arts, wisdom, and learning. The pioneering artist/anthropologist Miguel Covarrubias whose writings and illustrations on indigenous cultures of the ancient Americas continue to contribute to scholarly studies today, wrote the following description of this deity in his classic "Mexico South: The Isthmus of Tehuantepec" (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1946): Quetzalcoatl stood for all that was good in this world: peace, art, wisdom, and prosperity. Disguised as an ant, he discovered maize, the staple food of the Indians, hidden under the mountain of Substance, Tonacatepetl; he also invented the arts, the sciences, and the calendar. In fact, everything connected with wisdom and culture was attributed to Quetzalcoatl.
Provenance: ex-private Leonard Collection, Virginia, USA, acquired before 1979.
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#110736
- Condition: Intact with minimal surface wear. Minor abrasion on the bottom.
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| $5,000 | $9,999 | $500 |
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| $100,000 | $199,999 | $10,000 |
| $200,000 + | $25,000 |