Description:

Pre-Columbian, Central America, Panama, Gran Cocle culture, ca. 800 to 1000 CE. A beautiful shallow bowl standing on a small, round, concave foot. The background color is a pale orange. On the interior in four triangular quadrants are two repeated motifs, each one repeated on the side opposite its twin. These are inside black borders, generally a creamy white, with black filling in the negative space. Two are coiled spirals that resemble snails. The other two are crosses, a rare motif found in Cocle art. The interior of the crosses is a pale grey - perhaps once purple but now faded. The bowl has a pleasant heft and the body is relatively thick. Size: 9" W x 2.4" H (22.9 cm x 6.1 cm)

In the Gran Cocle kingdom, geometric design elements such as these were imbued with powerful symbolism, although their meaning is no longer known. Some researchers believe that the brightly colored Cocle ceramics refer to the contemporary belief system, which seems to have revolved around a mythic "Rainbow Serpent" who was believed to be the original designer of these motifs.

Provenance: private Albanese, California, USA collection

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#122578

  • Condition: Repaired from three large pieces. Repairs are fairly unobtrusive. Light wear to pigment with beautiful manganese deposits on both interior and exterior.

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May 18, 2017 7:00 AM MDT
Louisville, CO, US

Artemis Fine Arts

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