Lot 52

Colima Pottery Censer Lids House-Form Covers, Animal Protomes

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Colima Pottery Censer Lids House-Form Covers, Animal Protomes

Estimate: $600 - $900

Starting Bid: $300

(0 Bids)

June 11, 2026 9:00 AM MDT
Live Auction
Louisville, CO, US

Description:

Pre-Columbian, Mesoamerica, West México, Colima, Shaft Tomb tradition., ca. 100 BCE - 300 CE. A charismatic pair of architectural censer lids modeled as diminutive house-shrines, one a barrel-vaulted cover with a front portal, corner appliqués and a pierced tab grip, the other a rectilinear cover on four splayed feet with an arched handle and a lively animal protome peering over the rim; both are hand-built in coarse terracotta, low-fired, and originally coated with red slip now softened to warm earthen hues. Such covers likely capped box or bowl braziers used for incense in mortuary and domestic rites, the house form evoking lineage dwellings or temples while the creature head may signal tutelary spirits familiar in Colima iconography. Size: 5" W x 4.125" H x 5" D (12.7 cm W x 10.5 cm H x 12.7 cm D)

Provenance: private Colorado, USA collection; ex collection of Y. Kayvan, Los Angeles, California, USA, 2025; ex-Barakat Gallery, Beverly Hills, California, USA, acquired between 1985 and 2003

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Item # 202549

  • Condition: One with stabilized stress crack, the other intact.

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Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $749 $25
$750 $1,499 $50
$1,500 $2,999 $100
$3,000 $7,499 $250
$7,500 $14,999 $500
$15,000 + $1,000