Large Colima Redware Shaman Head Vessel

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Fine Ethnographic / Asian / Ancient Art

By Artemis Gallery

May 10, 2018

Set Reminder 2018-05-10 10:00:00 2018-05-10 10:00:00 America/New_York Bidsquare Bidsquare : Fine Ethnographic / Asian / Ancient Art https://www.bidsquare.com/auctions/artemis-gallery/fine-ethnographic-asian-ancient-art-3213
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• Lot Description
  Pre-Columbian, Western Mexico, Colima, ca. 300 BCE to 300 CE. A beautiful hand-built pottery vessel resembling the head of a shamanic man. The vessel rests upon a stable base, has a conical profile, smooth walls which taper upwards to a lipped spout, and a wide mouth leading to a deep interior cavity. Almond eyes, cupped ears, a petite mouth, and a prominent nose define the stylized visage with a pensive guise suggestive of experiencing a meditative, trance-like state. The shaman wears a traditional frontal horn projecting from a wide brow with an incised chinstrap and headband holding everything in place. The highly-burnished exterior is embellished with maroon and umber hued slip, though faded areas present an orange-red coloration as well. Perhaps used to hold substances of shamanic importance, this is a well-executed example from ancient Western Mexico! Size: 7.5" W x 6.625" H (19 cm x 16.8 cm).
  
  Colima, located on Mexico's southwestern coast, was during this time part of the shaft tomb culture, along with neighbors to the north in Jalisco and Nayarit. In this culture, the dead were buried down shafts - 3 to 20 meters deep - that were dug vertically or near vertically through the volcanic tuff that makes up the geology of the region. The base of the shaft would open into one or more horizontal chambers with a low ceiling. These shafts were almost always dug beneath a dwelling, probably a family home, and seem to have been used as family mausoleums, housing the remains of many related individuals. This is a vessel likely made to be placed inside those mausoleums, perhaps to mediate between the worlds of the living and the dead.
  
  What is the meaning of this particular vessel? Much of the religious practice of this culture and others in Mesoamerica involved shamans/priests entering an altered state, often through the use of strong alcohol or hallucinogenic substances. The blank eyes and agape mouth of the face suggest that this is a depiction of a religious trance, and the horn indicates that this is a highly-experienced and immensely-powerful shamanic individual.
  
  Provenance: private Hawaii, USA collection; ex-private T. Misenhimer collection, Hollywood, California, USA, famous Hollywood film producer
  
  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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  #132648

  Condition

  Vessel repaired from dozens of pieces with areas of restoration, overpainting, and resurfacing along break lines. Surface wear and abrasions commensurate with age, small nicks to face, horn, ears, spout, and base, fading and some discoloration to pigmentation, and roughness along base and spout. Nice earthen and mineral deposits throughout. Old inventory sticker and sticker residue on base.
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