Description:

**First Time At Auction**

Pre-Columbian, Gulf Coast Mexico, Veracruz, ca. 600 to 900 CE. A wonderful figural musical instrument, with a near-spherical body, a tubular blow hole emerging from the top and joined to an elaborately decorated head/bust with lobster claws in low relief reaching over the walls below that doubles as a whistle and a rattle. The bitumen-coated face wears a large, elaborate headdress and ear ornaments that extend to the shoulders. The whistle still works, and the rattles inside produce a wonderful percussive sound as well! Veracruz pottery from this period is famous for its use of bitumen, which is a form of petroleum found throughout Mesoamerica's southern Gulf Coast, and this piece shows ample bitumen on its surface. Size: 2.875" L x 2.5" W x 3.25" H (7.3 cm x 6.4 cm x 8.3 cm)

Provenance: private Hawaiian collection

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#124095

  • Condition: Small old chip behind one lobster claw, nick to headdress, and bridge. Whistles and rattles well. Ample bitumen. Inventory label on bottom.

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June 26, 2017 9:00 AM MDT
Louisville, CO, US

Artemis Fine Arts

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$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