Description:

Pre-Columbian, Central America, Panama, Gran Cocle, ca. 500 to 800 CE. A charming pottery jar in the form of a turtle with a tubular spout rising from the top of its shell. Adorned with red, blue, black and beige pigments, the carinated vessel displays the petite head, limbs, and tail of the turtle protruding from just below the broad hip. The slanted shoulder of the olla serves as the animal's shell, embellished by linear motifs of concentric circles. Size: 10.5" L x 11" W x 10" H (26.7 cm x 27.9 cm x 25.4 cm)

In the Pre-Columbian world, turtle imagery represented the watery surface separating the sky from the underworld. In addition to this metaphor, turtles were symbols of virility as well as fertility. Terracotta sculptural representations of turtles are among the many animal effigies created by ancient artisans, though they are among some of the rarest zoomorphic effigy vessels inspired by the natural world.

Cf. The Gilcrease Museum, accession number 54.3445.

Provenance: Estate of Peter H. Tillou Collection, thence by descent. Acquired in the 1990s, collection # 339. Appraised for $2,200 by Marianne Huber in 2014.

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#188368

    Condition:
  • Professionally repaired and restored with repainting in areas; all cone very well with break lines difficult to notice. Some abrasions to surface as shown, but otherwise, excellent presentation with nice remaining decoration. Earthen deposits to interior. Modern felt pads on underside of base for protection.

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November 22, 2024 8:00 AM MST
Louisville, CO, US

Artemis Fine Arts

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