Pre-Columbian, West Mexico, Colima, ca. 300 BCE to 300 CE. A beautiful example of one of the iconic West Mexican vessels - a Colima dog, seated, chubby, with perky ears and an upturned tail. He has wide eyes and a wonderfully detailed and life-like nose and mouth. This style did not incorporate a spout into the vessel using the mouth with toothy grin as a means to vent the piece in the kiln, giving it a more lifelike appearance. You can imagine the person making this figure studying their own beloved pet as it looked up imploringly at whatever bowl of food they might have had resting near their work area. Size: 11" L x 10.75" H (27.9 cm x 27.3 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: Private Redwood City, California, USA collection acquired before 2000
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#182979
Condition
Remarkably intact and excellent with minor surface deposits. Two wonderful manganese rings under left hind leg attesting to its antiquity.