Lot 39
Pre-Columbian, Central Mexico, Mixtec Culture, ca. 1200 to 1500 CE. A grand Mixtec pottery urn, its broad, flaring rim and smooth burnished surface finished in a deep red slip that glows with earthen luster. Around the vessel's curving body unfurls a procession of black-painted and incised motifs - intricate rosettes and plumed emblems - rendered with precision and symmetry. These designs, incised and painted against the polished red ground, evoke the elaborate headdresses and feathered insignia found in Mixtec codices, symbols of rank, lineage, and divine association. Twin nubbed handles emerge from the vessel's sides, subtle yet functional, suggesting the urn's use in ceremonial contexts - perhaps for offerings, libations, or as a funerary container. Size: 14.5" L x 14" W x 12.3" H (36.8 cm x 35.6 cm x 31.2 cm)
The Mixtec, among the most accomplished ceramic artists of Mesoamerica, were known for their mastery of surface decoration, often combining burnishing and resist-painting to achieve striking tonal contrasts. The glossy finish and careful execution of this example attest to both technical expertise and ritual intent.
Large vessels such as this were central to Mixtec religious life, where the boundaries between art and devotion were fluid. They served not merely as containers but as conduits - bridging the human and divine through material beauty. The urn's rhythmic form, alternating between smooth curve and bold motif, reflects the Mixtec aesthetic ideal of balance: between the earthly and the celestial, the crafted and the eternal. A superb and impressively scaled example of Mixtec ceramic artistry, radiating both elegance and ancestral power.
Provenance: private Dallas, Texas, USA collection; ex-Marianne and Bob Huber, acquired in the 1960s
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#198944
- Condition: Professionally repaired and restored with repainting over break lines. Some nicks and abrasions to surface as shown, but, otherwise, excellent presentation with nice pigments and great remaining detail. Scattered earthen and mineral deposits throughout.
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