Pre-Columbian, West Mexico, Colima, ca. 300 BCE to 300 CE. A wonderful example of a hand-built pottery dog vessel that is highly burnished and covered in red-orange slip. The playful canine stands with a plump body atop four bent legs, has a broad, cylindrical tail that doubles as the spout, and has a tapered neck. The head is held high and bears incised, almond-shaped eyes, a squat snout with a petite nose, a pair of enormous ears, and a narrow mouth that holds an ear of maize within, perhaps as a means of fattening it up for later consumption. Size: 11.3" L x 4.625" W x 8.25" H (28.7 cm x 11.7 cm x 21 cm)
Scholars know of at least two types of Colima dogs, one to be fattened up and ritually sacrificed or eaten and one to serve as a watchdog and healer of the ill. This plump hairless canine known as a Chichi or Escuintla is thought to be related to the Chihuahua or Mexican Hairless also known as the Xoloitzcuintle. The Xolo dog was named for the deity Xolotl, the God of the Underworld, and believed to guide the deceased as they journeyed to the afterlife. Colima vessels such as this one were buried in shaft tombs to protect the deceased and provide sustenance for eternity.
Provenance: ex-Barakat Gallery, Beverly Hills, California, USA, acquired prior to 2000
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.
#155891
Condition
Repair to left foreleg, with resurfacing and overpainting along break lines. Minor abrasions along legs, body, spout, and head, with light encrustations within some recessed areas, and fading to areas of original pigmentation. Light earthen deposits and wonderful manganese blooms throughout.