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THBFine Veracruz Pottery Sonriente Whistle Figure
Lot 85
About Seller
Artemis Gallery
686 S Taylor Ave, Ste 106
Louisville, CO 80027
United States
Selling antiquities, ancient and ethnographic art online since 1993, Artemis Gallery specializes in Classical Antiquities (Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Near Eastern), Asian, Pre-Columbian, African / Tribal / Oceanographic art. Our extensive inventory includes pottery, stone, metal, wood, glass and textil...Read more
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Live Auction in Progress ... Currently on Lot Estimate:
$1,700 - $2,550
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| Price | Bid Increment |
|---|---|
| $0 | $25 |
| $300 | $50 |
| $1,000 | $100 |
| $2,000 | $250 |
| $5,000 | $500 |
| $10,000 | $1,000 |
| $20,000 | $2,500 |
| $50,000 | $5,000 |
| $100,000 | $10,000 |
| $200,000 | $20,000 |
About Auction
Live
By Artemis Gallery
Nov 4, 2021
Set Reminder
2021-11-04 10:00:00
2021-11-04 10:00:00
America/New_York
Bidsquare
Bidsquare : Ancient & Ethnographic Art Through The Ages
https://www.bidsquare.com/auctions/artemis-gallery/ancient-ethnographic-art-through-the-ages-7799
Ancient art from Egypt, Greece, Italy and the Near East, as well as Asian, Fossils, Pre-Columbian, Native American, African / Tribal / Oceanic, Fine art, and much more! All categories, all price ranges... all legally acquired and guaranteed to be as described or your money back. Artemis Gallery info@artemisgallery.com
Ancient art from Egypt, Greece, Italy and the Near East, as well as Asian, Fossils, Pre-Columbian, Native American, African / Tribal / Oceanic, Fine art, and much more! All categories, all price ranges... all legally acquired and guaranteed to be as described or your money back. Artemis Gallery info@artemisgallery.com
View Full Catalog (379)
- Lot Description
Pre-Columbian, Gulf Coast Mexico, Vera Cruz, Remojadas style, ca. 550 to 950 CE. An impressive example of a mold-made terracotta Sonriente - smiling face - with wonderful applied and incised details. The ancient figure showcases a traditional, wide smile revealing a row of teeth on a characteristically quasi-triangular shaped face with skillfully contoured facial planes, soft, billowy eyelids, and a curved nose, all flanked by a pair of long ears with annular earspools. Presenting a child-like body, the ancient figure stands with feet apart exposing his genitalia as he raises his outstretched arms, displaying both palms to the viewer. He is elaborately adorned, wearing a huge headdress shaped like an abstract zoomorph, an applied, beaded necklace, and a vest-like tunic with a decorative bottom hem. Perforations on the top and verso of the figure's head allowed him to previously function as a whistle! Size: 7.4" W x 9.7" H (18.8 cm x 24.6 cm); 10" H (25.4 cm) on included custom stand.
Sonrientes are rare in Mesoamerican art and scholars suggest that they played a special role in Remojadas society due to their rarity. Why that smile? Some scholars believe that it was produced perhaps by ingesting alcoholic or hallucinogenic pulque, while others including Miller and Taube suggest that the smiling figures were actually performers. (See Miller and Taube, "The Gods and Symbols of Ancient Mexico and the Maya," London: Thames and Hudson, 1993, p. 10)
Provenance: private Hawaii, USA collection, acquired in 2002; ex-Lands Beyond, New York, USA
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.
PLEASE NOTE: Due to recent increases of shipments being seized by Australian & German customs (even for items with pre-UNESCO provenance), we will no longer ship most antiquities and ancient Chinese art to Australia & Germany. For categories of items that are acceptable to ship to Australia or Germany, please contact us directly or work with your local customs brokerage firm.
Display stands not described as included/custom in the item description are for photography purposes only and will not be included with the item upon shipping.
#168191Collection label on verso. Whistle no longer functions. Repaired from several pieces with restoration over break lines. Proper right hand, upper chest, left shoulder, and left side of face restored from new material. Expected abrasions, commensurate with age. Otherwise, very nice.Condition
- Shipping Info
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