Lot 122C
Pre-Columbian, West Mexico, Colima, ca. 300 BCE to 300 CE. A rare and striking Colima pottery vessel modeled after the ceiba tree - sacred guardian of the cosmos in ancient Mesoamerican belief. Cylindrical in form, the body is covered in orderly rows of conical nodules evoking the thorn-covered trunk of the ceiba (also known as the kapok tree), whose formidable bark protected it from both natural threats and supernatural forces. The vessel's spiny surface rises from flat, circular endcaps finished in a lustrous red slip, while a wide cylindrical spout emerges from the top, also coated in red pigment. Though the rim is chipped from age and use, the vessel remains a powerful evocation of Colima symbolism and artistry. In West Mexico, the ceiba was more than botanical inspiration - it was axis mundi, a living column linking the terrestrial world to the underworld and the celestial realm above. Its spiked trunk, rising vertically from the earth, served as a symbolic ladder for gods, shamans, and ancestors. Size: 6" L x 5" W x 7.9" H (15.2 cm x 12.7 cm x 20.1 cm)
The stylized spikes on this vessel may also suggest themes of defense, fertility, or even ecstatic trance, common in shaft tomb cultures.
Vessels of this type, with their bold sculptural presence and esoteric references, were often placed as offerings in shaft tombs, sealed with the dead to accompany them in the afterlife. The fusion of form and meaning here is both conceptual and tactile - a metaphysical tree rendered as a functional object, resonant with spiritual and ceremonial purpose.
Cf. LACMA, M.86.296.108.
Provenance: Collection of Y. Kayvan, Los Angeles, California, USA, acquired from a Los Angeles, California, USA gallery acquisition dates range from the late 1990s to 2005
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#196081
- Condition: Losses to rim as shown and professional repair to spout with restoration and repainting over break lines. Light surface wear with a few nicks or chips to commensurate with age, but, otherwise, excellent presentation with earthen and manganese deposits in areas.
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