Description:

Pre-Columbian, Southern Mesoamerica, Maya-Toltec horizon, ca. 900 to 1200 CE. An adorable and compact plumbate effigy vessel in the form of a stout four-legged canid - either a dog or coyote - modeled in the round with incised and burnished detail. Rendered with an expressive head bearing bulging eyes, pointed ears, and a wrinkled snout with parted jaws, the creature supports a cylindrical spout emerging from its back. Its sides are incised with geometric and curvilinear patterns that suggest stylized fur, costume, or symbolic elements, while its tail loops upward to meet the vessel body. The dark, glossy surface was achieved through the plumbate technique - a high-fired ceramic glaze fused with lead or manganese oxides, resulting in a hard, vitreous finish. Plumbate pottery was traded widely across Mesoamerica during the Early Postclassic period and is especially associated with the Toltec-influenced region of Escuintla on the Pacific coast of Guatemala. Size: 6.8" L x 3.9" W x 4.8" H (17.3 cm x 9.9 cm x 12.2 cm)

Dogs were deeply significant across Mesoamerican cosmology, where they were believed to guide souls through the underworld. The coyote, too, was seen as a trickster and liminal creature with ties to transformation and cunning. This ambiguity between domestic and wild may reflect the liminal role of such effigy vessels in ritual contexts.

Cf. Saint Louis Art Museum, 122:1980.

Provenance: ex-Dennis Herr collection, Carlyle, Illinois, USA

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#194908

  • Condition: Professional repair and restoration to ears. Some chipping, nicks, and abrasions as shown, but, otherwise nice, lustrous presentation.

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June 13, 2025 8:00 AM MDT
Louisville, CO, US

Artemis Fine Arts

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Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$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