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THBRare / Fine Aztec Stone Pumpkin or Cacao Pod
Lot 31d
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
Live Auction in Progress ... Currently on Lot Estimate:
$2,500 - $3,500
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| $300 | $50 |
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| $5,000 | $500 |
| $10,000 | $1,000 |
| $20,000 | $2,500 |
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| $100,000 | $10,000 |
| $200,000 | $20,000 |
About Auction
Live
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
Featuring antiquities from around the world including Pre-Columbian, Tribal, Classical, Asian, so much more! Artemis Gallery info@artemisgallery.com
Featuring antiquities from around the world including Pre-Columbian, Tribal, Classical, Asian, so much more! Artemis Gallery info@artemisgallery.com
View Full Catalog (407)
- Lot Description
Pre-Columbian, Valley of Mexico, Mexico City region, Aztec, ca. 1200 to 1520 CE. A beautiful sculpture depicting a pumpkin, squash, or quite possibly a cacao pod - skillfully carved from a beige stone. In her book, "Sacred Consumption: Food and Ritual in Aztec Art and Culture" (University of Texas Press, 2016, p. 44), Elizabeth Moran writes, "Food items were rendered by Aztec artists in a wide range of materials. Aztec stone workers made huge sculptures of cacti, squash, and pumpkin out of different stones; some scholars suggest that these huge food items were permanently on display in temples." Size: 7" W x 8.25" H (17.8 cm x 21 cm).
Moran also describes a sculpture of a man holding a cacao pod by the stem at the Brooklyn Museum of Art that is just over 2 feet tall. She writes, "The male figure holds a disproportionately large pod . . . Here the cacao pod is transformed into a monumental food. Its large size denotes its significance. Cacao was a specialty item in the Mesoamerican world." Scholars suggest that the Aztecs believed that cacao seeds were actually gifts from Quetzalcoatl, the god of wisdom. Cacao seeds once possessed so much value and were used as a form of currency. Cacao was initially only prepared as a beverage. Unlike the sweet drink we consume today, the liquid chocolate was enjoyed as a bitter, frothy drink, blended with spices or at times corn puree. The indigenous believed is possessed aphrodisiac powers and at the same time gave the drinker increased strength. Today, these drinks are called "Chilate" and are made by the peoples residing in the South of Mexico.
See Aztec stone pumpkin sculptures at the National Museum of Anthropology in Mexico City and the MIHO Museum in Japan.
Provenance: ex-private Southern California, USA collection, acquired over twenty years ago
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.
We ship worldwide and handle all shipping in-house for your convenience.
#132241Age-commensurate surface wear and abrasions, with nicks and scuffs across most surfaces, otherwise intact and excellent. Nice earthen deposits throughout.Condition
- Shipping Info
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