Amazing Aztec Stone Carved Coyote - Lifesize!

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Exceptional Antiquities, Asian, Ethnographic

By Artemis Gallery

Feb 13, 2020

Set Reminder 2020-02-13 10:00:00 2020-02-13 10:00:00 America/New_York Bidsquare Bidsquare : Exceptional Antiquities, Asian, Ethnographic https://www.bidsquare.com/auctions/artemis-gallery/exceptional-antiquities-asian-ethnographic-4848
An important one-day auction featuring museum-worthy examples of Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Etruscan, Near Eastern, Far East / Asian, Pre-Columbian, African / Tribal, Oceanic, Native American, Spanish Colonial, Russian, Fossils, Ancient Jewelry, Fine Art, so much more! Artemis Gallery info@artemisgallery.com

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• Lot Description
  Pre-Columbian, Mexico City region, Aztec Empire, ca. 1300 to 1500 CE. Wow! One of my absolute favorite items! This is a fierce coyote's head, carved from the characteristic grey volcanic stone that Aztec artisans used for so many of their monumental creations. The head features perky triangular ears, large, expressive, ovoid eyes with the irises clearly delineated, a long snout with upturned nostrils, and an open mouth full of sharp teeth, especially the canines, which are so large that if the mouth were closed they would hang over the lips. The long, cylindrical neck may have been a tenon joint for fitting into a larger sculpture or architectural element. The face is infused with fearsome qualities - but also a glimmer of mischief in those knowing eyes. Size: 10.75" L x 5.7" W x 8.45" H (27.3 cm x 14.5 cm x 21.5 cm); 11.45" H (29.1 cm) on included custom stand.
  
  The Aztecs, like most pre-industrial societies, had a close relationship with animals and the natural landscape. Many of their cultural metaphors, adages, and omens were based on the behavior of animals, and some animals were known for their supernatural power. The coyote was one such - powerful Aztec wizards were believed to have the ability to transform into the fiercest beasts, including the coyote. Unlike the jaguar or eagle, however, the coyote also was (and still is) regarded as a trickster figure in Mesoamerican mythology, god of music and dance, called Huehuecoyotl in Nahuatl. The disembodied head form may have been to remind the viewer of the popular headdresses that we know the Aztec wore ritually - carved statues show female and male warriors wearing avian, serpent, jaguar, and coyote headdresses. Diego Rivera even painted some of these coyote-headed warriors in his mural "The Epic of the Mexican People" (1929-1935), in the Palacio Nacional in Mexico City.
  
  See several similar lifesize coyote sculptures carved from volcanic stone at the Sala Mexica, Museo Nacional de Antropologia, Ciudad de Mexico (Aztec Room, National Museum, Mexico City).
  
  Provenance: ex-private lifetime collection of Dr. Saul Tuttman and Dr. Gregory Siskind, New York, New York, USA, 1960s to 1970s
  
  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.
  
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  #151260

  Condition

  The volcanic stone surface is porous and has weathered accordingly. Both ears have been repaired at their tips; this is well done and unobtrusive. The back of the neck is rough and has an old collection number handwritten in ink on it. There are a few small areas of staining on the surface where the stone appears darker than surrounding areas. Nice deposits on surface. Great preservation of form and details.
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