Lot 87B
Pre-Columbian, El Salvador, Mayan Territories, Late Classic, ca. 550 to 900 CE. A large, fun bowl in the style of Copador, manufactured in the Copan area. Painted in the center is a round-bodied monkey, red against a bright orange field. He is within a ring of black and red circles that flow up the gently sloped sides of the bowl. Chasing each other around the body of the vessel are lizard- or serpent-like figures with huge heads. The bowl stands on three sturdy legs. Size: 13.7" W x 5.45" H (34.8 cm x 13.8 cm)
These monkeys are probably modeled on the native spider monkey, known for being inquisitive and chattering. The monkey image is associated with the pre-Columbian art of Central America; they are, like this one, often given large foreheads and small flat noses. They were figures of fun, but also are often associated with creation myths both in Central America and in the Mayan world, suggesting an almost evolutionary understanding of the monkey/human relationship. Various myths recount earlier worlds inhabited by monkeys rather than humans that were destroyed by cataclysms, making monkeys like proto-humans. Monkeys were often associated with writing and art, perhaps because of their observed intelligence.
Provenance: private D. C. collection, California, USA; D. C. is an Emmy Award winning Hollywood writer and Executive Producer, collected before 2000
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#126484
- Condition: Cracks on rim stabilized, with tiny losses along crack edges. Nice remaining pigment with clear motifs and small, scattered manganese deposits.
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