Lot 179
Pre-Columbian, West Mexico, Colima, ca. 300 BCE to 300 CE. A wonderfully expressive pottery figure of a standing woman. She wears a skirt and a smooth, rounded head garment and nothing else, not even earrings. She holds a large, round bowl in front of her, as if she is making an offering. Two small breasts and genitalia visible underneath her skirt make her sex very clear to the viewer. Her face has been sculpted to have almost-closed, squinting eyes, a thin, realistic nose, and an open mouth above a jutting chin. The face is remarkably naturalistic compared to many West Mexican sculptures, which is part of the great appeal of this figure. Size: 7.3" L x 13.25" H (18.5 cm x 33.7 cm)
Colima, located on Mexico's southwestern coast, was during this time part of the shaft tomb culture, along with neighbors to the north in Jalisco and Nayarit. In this culture, the dead were buried down shafts - 3 to 20 meters deep - that were dug vertically or near vertically through the volcanic tuff that makes up the geology of the region. The base of the shaft would open into one or more horizontal chambers with a low ceiling. These shafts were almost always dug beneath a dwelling, probably a family home, and seem to have been used as family mausoleums, housing the remains of many related individuals. This is a figure made to be placed inside those mausoleums, perhaps to mediate between the worlds of the living and the dead. She may have once held real offerings in her bowl.
Provenance: private Chicago, Illinois, USA collection; ex Howard S. Rose Gallery, New York City, USA; ex private Nevada, USA collection; exhibited at the Marjorie Barrick Museum, University of Nevada Las Vegas, USA, late 1990s; ex Dr. David Harner personal collection, Arkansas, USA, 1950s to 1960s, item #M124
All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back.
A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids.
We ship worldwide and handle all shipping in-house for your convenience.
#122523
- Condition: Repaired from multiple pieces on the upper back and one arm, with repairs very well done and extremely difficult to see. Fantastic manganese deposits.
Accepted Forms of Payment:
Discover, MasterCard, Visa
Shipping
Auction House will ship, at Buyer's expense
Artemis Fine Arts
You agree to pay a buyer's premium of 24.5% and any applicable taxes and shipping.
View full terms and conditions
| From: | To: | Increments: |
|---|---|---|
| $0 | $299 | $25 |
| $300 | $999 | $50 |
| $1,000 | $1,999 | $100 |
| $2,000 | $4,999 | $250 |
| $5,000 | $9,999 | $500 |
| $10,000 | $19,999 | $1,000 |
| $20,000 | $49,999 | $2,000 |
| $50,000 | $99,999 | $5,000 |
| $100,000 | $199,999 | $10,000 |
| $200,000 + | $25,000 |