Lot 145E
Pre-Columbian, Panama, Cocle Culture, ca. 600 to 800 CE. A striking polychrome turtle effigy vessel, the body in the form of a walking or swimming turtle with head and legs extending in high relief and tail in bas relief, the tortuga's endearing visage featuring bulbous eyes in bas relief with painted pupils, the shell presenting a band of repeating concentric circle motifs, and the 'skin' below adorned by stylized geometric motifs. Rising from the turtle's back is a tubular neck with a spiraled wave motif, and a flat rim adorned by a hemispheric motif. A conical spout joins one end of the rim to the turtle shell/shoulder of the piece. All is delineated in red and deep purple on a cream ground, and the vessel sits upon a ring base. Size: 8.125" W at widest point x 8" H (20.6 cm x 20.3 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.
See another turtle effigy vessel from Gran Cocle - though of a simpler form - at the Gilcrease Museum (https://collections.gilcrease.org/object/543445)
Accompanied by a COA from Marc A. Schmitt - Certificte Number 1455 - dated 5/10/05.
Provenance: private Colorado, USA collection; ex-Danny Pemberton collection
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#143793
- Condition: Expected surface wear with some pigment loss and abraded areas commensurate with age. Earthen and mineral deposits grace the surface. Old collection labels on the underside.
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