Lot 177A
Native American, Four-Corners region, Anasazi culture, ca. 1100 to 1300 CE. A rare effigy vessel in the form of a sitting bird. Its form presents a wide chest with a "keyhole" opening on back, a petite beaked head, and a thin extended tail, with a finely painted feathered coat featuring a mesmerizing array of fine-line, dotted, and stylized geometric patterns in added black-on-white pigments. A stunning example of a form that is rare to find in any condition, let alone in excellent condition!! Size: 4.5" W x 2.875" H (11.4 cm x 7.3 cm)
Interestingly, in the Anasazi culture, birds have traditionally been associated with shamanism. It is believed that shamans take flight and the soul is said to leave the body and assume the form of a bird. Hence, bird-headed human figures were depicted on various forms of visual culture, including arrows, bows, atlatls, and baskets. According to scholar Alex Patterson, "Petroglyphs and pictographs of so-called bird-headed figures are found in southern Utah and northern Arizona. This spread of images seems to match the area thought to comprise the Anasazi culture from AD 400-1300." (Patterson, "The Bird-head Symbol, Some Speculations as to its Meaning." Utah Rock Art Research Association proceedings, Volume 8, p. 131)
Provenance: private Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA collection
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#126701
- Condition: Form and painted program are superb with black firing cloud on base.
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| $300 | $999 | $50 |
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| $2,000 | $4,999 | $250 |
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| $200,000 + | $25,000 |