Lot 128
Native American, Southeast / Midwestern United States, Mississippian, Bell Plains type, ca. 970 to 1330 CE. Wonderful effigy pottery vessel made using clay coils, with a zoomorphic head rising up from the rim, and a curled tail at the opposite side. The basin rests on a small foot, and the walls flare upward with a slightly rolled lip. The head features incised lines, a bulbous nose, lips curled back from bared teeth, and a large brow. The cat-serpent is a popular motif that appears throughout Mississippian art. This creature may be a combination of a wild feline and a rattlesnake, and is likely a water-spirit; a mythological being or deity figure. A beautiful vessel with mysterious symbolism! Size: 10" W x 4" H (25.4 cm x 10.2 cm)
According to author Jim Maus, "The general sectarian opinion seemed to be that there was evil underwater, whether in lakes or streams or deep in watery caves and the Horned Water Serpent could keep the wickedness in check, if the people stimulated it to do so. Or it could unleash the maliciousness onto the human population if it was not accepted and treated as a supreme being. We will probably never know just when or how the tales of this leviathan were begun but the cultural shamans or priests along with the regional kings probably had much to do with propagating the myths. For eons, around the world, society leaders have conjured up stories of devils or dragons or demons so as to gain control over their uneducated subjects. And there are no reasons to believe that the ancient Americans did not do likewise."
For similar examples, see "Cat Serpents" by Ron and Linda Bogg.
This piece has been tested using thermoluminescence (TL) analysis and has been found to be ancient and of the period stated. A full report will accompany purchase.
Provenance: private Kansas City, Missouri, USA collection, ex-John Townsend collection, formed in the 1970s and earlier
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#161644
- Condition: Areas of repair and restoration on the rim, tail, and neck. Abrasion and chip to rim. Losses and chip to top of head. TL holes on base and on rim near tail. Mineral deposits and earthen encrustations.
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