Lot 114
Pre-Columbian, Central Mexico, Aztec culture, ca. 14th to 16th century CE. A remarkable Aztec tripod rattle bowl supported by three sculpted legs formed as stylized dog heads, their elongated snouts and open mouths giving the vessel a lively and almost animated character. The bowl rises from the three hollow supports, each head carefully modeled with incised details that define the eyes, nostrils, and mouth, transforming the functional base into expressive effigies. The vessel is formed in reddish earthenware typical of Aztec utilitarian and ritual ceramics. The hollow tripod legs likely contain small clay pellets that produce a rattling sound when the vessel is moved, a feature common in Mesoamerican ceramics where sound played an important role in ritual performance and ceremonial gatherings. The rounded bowl above provides a practical container, while the animated legs lend the object a dynamic sculptural presence. Size: 9.5" L x 8.5" W x 7.1" H (24.1 cm x 21.6 cm x 18 cm)
Dogs held profound symbolic meaning in Aztec cosmology. They were closely associated with the deity Xolotl, the canine-headed god linked to the evening star and the underworld. According to Aztec belief, dogs guided the souls of the dead through the dangerous journey across the river of the underworld, making them powerful companions in both life and death. As a result, dogs frequently appear in Aztec sculpture and ceramics, often connected with funerary symbolism and spiritual protection.
Tripod vessels such as this example served a variety of functions, including the presentation of food, drink, or ritual substances. The addition of rattle elements and zoomorphic supports suggests that the vessel may also have played a role in ceremonial settings where movement, sound, and symbolic imagery worked together to animate ritual space. With its animated dog effigies and acoustic function, this Aztec tripod bowl embodies the rich interplay between daily life, ritual practice, and mythological symbolism that characterizes the ceramic traditions of late Postclassic Central Mexico.
Cf. Worcester Art Museum, 1985.94.
Provenance: private Colorado, USA collection; ex-private Los Angeles, California, USA collection; ex-major gallery, Beverly Hills, California, USA, primarily acquired between 1985 and 2005
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#201524
- Condition: Chip to rim, as well as a few stable hairline fissures. Chipping to ears of dogs and some nicks and abrasions throughout as shown. Otherwise, very nice with good detail and great root marks. Scattered earthen and manganese deposits to surface.
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