Lot 59
Pre-Columbian, West Mexico, Chupicuaro culture, ca. 400 BCE to 100 CE. A harmonious pair of Chupicuaro pottery vessels, this round-bottomed bowl and jar exemplify the bold geometry and rhythmic color contrasts that define one of ancient West Mexico's most celebrated ceramic traditions. Both vessels are hand-built in fine earthenware and finished with a polished surface, decorated in a classic Chupicuaro palette of deep red, warm cream, and dark mineral-based pigment. The bowl features a broad, open form with a gently curving profile, its exterior encircled by alternating triangular panels and vertical striping that create a sense of rotation and balance. The jar presents a more compact silhouette with a rounded body and short, flaring neck, adorned with a zigzagging snake and layered horizontal registers that emphasize its volume. Size of larger (bowl): 8.5" Diameter x 4.6" H (21.6 cm x 11.7 cm)
The round-bottomed construction of both vessels suggests they were intended to be cradled in soft ground, fiber rings, or stands, a functional choice common in Chupicuaro ceramics. Their painted designs are not merely decorative but symbolic, reflecting a visual language rooted in repetition, movement, and contrast. Such motifs are widely interpreted as references to cosmology, cycles of nature, and the ordering of space within Chupicuaro belief systems.
Chupicuaro pottery is renowned for its technical refinement and graphic clarity, and vessels of this type were used in both domestic and ritual contexts. They are frequently recovered from burial settings, where they served as offerings or companions for the deceased, reinforcing ideas of sustenance and continuity in the afterlife.
With their balanced forms, confident brushwork, and rich surface patina acquired through age, this bowl and jar together offer a compelling glimpse into the aesthetic sophistication and cultural depth of Chupicuaro ceramic production. The pairing enhances their visual dialogue, making this lot an especially evocative representation of Pre-Columbian artistry from ancient West Mexico.
Provenance: private Colorado, USA collection; ex-Arte Primitivo, New York, USA; jar: ex-Arte Primitivo, New York, New York, USA, September 15, 2025, lot 205 (1 of 2); ex-private Nevada, USA collection; ex-Dr. David Harner collection, Arkansas, USA, 1950s-1960s
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#199877
- Condition: Bowl has been professionally repaired with restoration and repainting over break lines; jar is intact. Both have some nicks and abrasions commensurate with age but are otherwise very nice with great remains of pigment and decoration.
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