Lot 133C
Pre-Columbian, West Mexico, Colima, ca. 300 BCE to 300 CE. A redware effigy vessel in the form of a cherimoya fruit, its bulbous body carefully sculpted with a repeating diamond-pitted surface mimicking the textural skin of the native Mesoamerican fruit. The rounded form rises to a short, slightly flared spout emerging from one end, its angle suggesting both stem and mouthpiece. A gentle dome crowns the vessel's apex, subtly echoing the cherimoya's lobed crown. The surface is burnished to a soft sheen, bearing mineral deposits and earthen encrustations from centuries of burial. This form belongs to the rich sculptural ceramic tradition of the Colima culture, one of the principal ceramic-producing societies of West Mexico. Known for their bold figural vessels and naturalistic representations of plants, animals, and humans, Colima potters crafted objects that served both utilitarian and ritual purposes, often found in shaft tombs as offerings for the afterlife. Size: 9.9" L x 8.5" W x 5.9" H (25.1 cm x 21.6 cm x 15 cm)
The cherimoya, a fruit native to the Andean and Mesoamerican regions, was likely prized for its sweetness and symbolic fertility associations, making its depiction a fitting funerary emblem. Vessels like this may have held fermented beverages or offerings during ritual feasts. The combination of sculptural realism and functional form reflects the Colima tradition's deep engagement with both the physical and symbolic nourishment of the deceased.
For a nearly identical redware cherimoya vessel, please see accession number M.86.296.196 at Los Angeles County Museum of Art.
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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#195916
- Condition: Professionally repaired with restoration and repainting over break lines. Light surface wear commensurate with age as shown, but otherwise, nice presentation with scattered earthen deposits to surface.
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