Description:

Pre-Columbian, Colombia, Tairona region, ca. 1000 to 1550 CE. An adorable pottery vessel in the form of an opossum with a raised head on one side and a broad spout at the other, connected by a bridge-form handle. Supported by a flared pedestal, the animal exhibits perky ears, a pointed snout, a round nose, beady eyes, and a pair of dotted bands that extend from the tip of the nose to above the eyes. The Kurcha lineage of the Kogi Indians, who inhabit the Tairona region today, associate the opossum with twins and fertility. Size: 10.6" L x 5" W x 8" H (26.9 cm x 12.7 cm x 20.3 cm)

Cf. "Colombia Before Columbus: The People, Culture, and Ceramic Art of Prehispanic Colombia," by Armand J. Labbe (New York: Rizzoli International Publications, 1986), p. 188, fig. 155 - 156.

Provenance: ex-private Stephen and Claudia Kramer collection, Atlanta, Georgia, USA; ex-Maurice Bernstein collection, NYC & FL, acquired in the 1970s in Bogota Galeria CLAVIA Arte Indigena

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#187656

  • Condition: Professionally repaired with restoration in areas. Chipping to ears and rim with a few stable hairline fissures in areas. Otherwise, excellent presentation with traces of remaining black pigment and nice preservation of detail. Earthen deposits on interior.

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July 9, 2024 8:00 AM MDT
Louisville, CO, US

Artemis Fine Arts

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