Description:

Pre-Columbian, West Mexico, Colima culture, ca. 300 BCE to 300 CE. A redware pottery drum or drum-shaped vessel, its cylindrical body encircled by dynamic low-relief renderings of double-headed serpents. Two slightly higher relief appliques of skeletal heads adorned with flared earspools, emerge from both sides, perhaps also serving as lugs. The flat base and open form suggest it may have functioned as a percussive instrument, though vessels of this shape were also placed as burial offerings, serving ritual or symbolic purposes. Within Colima tradition, serpents held deep spiritual significance as protective and fertility symbols, closely tied to rain, earth, and agricultural abundance. Size: 7.25" W x 6.75" H (18.4 cm x 17.1 cm)

Compare to a similar example at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, object number: 1983.497.13.

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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#196086

  • Condition: Professionally repaired and restored from many pieces. Infill with new material to gaps and break lines. Approximately 70% or more original material. Stable hairline crack on interior. Nice manganese deposits.

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August 7, 2025 8:00 AM MDT
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$0 $299 $25
$300 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 $99,999 $5,000
$100,000 $199,999 $10,000
$200,000 + $20,000