Pre-Columbian, West Mexico, Guanajuato Valley, Chupicuaro, ca. 500 BCE to 300 CE. A gorgeous handbuilt and burnished bowl of bulbous form with a rounded yet stable base, flared rim, and four petite looped handles extending from the rim to the shoulder for suspension. Beautifully embellished in hues of terracotta, creamy beige, and black, this ancient vessel exhibits a stunning decorative program featuring a series registers including (from top to bottom): a sequence of black diamond shapes outlined in beige and separated by vertical beige striations along the interior of the rim, a thick horizontal band of beige with a thin black line in its center on the shoulder, a motif of six large diamond shapes with flame-like borders of black and beige each divided by two vertical beige lines along the voluminous body followed by another thick band of beige, and a beige circle at its base. The interior is additionally embellished with a terracotta-glazed lower half and buff-hued upper half. A lovely example of Chupicuaro pottery! Size: 8.75"in diameter x 6.5" H (22.2 cm x 16.5 cm)
Chupicuaro society is well known for its sophisticated ceramic tradition featuring human effigies and food-service vessels of stunning aesthetic appeal such as this example. The feast was of utmost importance to supply food for the living as an integral part of social politics and also to provide sustenance for the soul's journey to the underworld. Beyond being objects for daily use, Chupicuaro ceramics were artistic achievements in their own right - elegant forms with boldly painted decoration typically in their signature deep red. The wide variety of vessel forms created by the Chupicuaro artisans points to the significance of the feast.
Provenance: private Arcadia, California, USA collection, acquired prior to 2000; ex-Peter Wrag Collection
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#159577
Condition
Collection label on base. Miniscule chips/nicks to surface and paint throughout. Otherwise intact with excellent remaining pigments and lovely earthen deposits.