Lot 102
Mississippian Flatfish Effigy Bottle
Mississippian Flatfish Effigy Bottle
Starting Bid: $500
(0 Bids)
Native American, Mississippian culture, Southeast Missouri, ca. 1200–1500 CE. A burnished blackware bottle modeled in the form of a flatfish, its compressed, lenticular body capturing the asymmetry that distinguishes flounder and their kin from other denizens of Mississippi waterways. The potter has rendered the species with naturalistic acuity: the head twists sideways toward the surface of the world, the dorsal fin runs along one flank while the anal and pelvic fins emerge from the other, mirroring the singular anatomy of a creature that swims on its side and gazes upward with both migrated eyes. A tall cylindrical neck rises from the swollen ovoid body, the form characteristic of Late Mississippian water bottles produced across the central and southeastern reaches of the Mississippi Valley.
The vessel's surface, smoothed to a soft graphite sheen, carries the carbon-rich patina typical of reduction firing. Fish effigies occupy a recurring place within Mississippian iconography, where aquatic beings served as messengers of the Beneath World in the tripartite cosmology shared across the Southeastern Ceremonial Complex. Such bottles likely accompanied burials or held ritual liquids, their zoomorphic forms binding the contents to the watery realm from which life and fertility were believed to flow.. 7.8" W x 6" H x 6.9" D (19.8 cm W x 15.2 cm H x 17.5 cm D).
Provenance: private Colorado, USA Collection; ex-private Denver, Colorado, USA collection; ex-private Flushing, New York and Ridgeway, Colorado, USA collection, acquired October 2016 via Selkirk Auctioneers & Appraisers, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
SHIPPING: We coordinate worldwide shipping in-house through specialist international forwarders experienced with fine art and antiquities customs manifests. International buyers must confirm, prior to bidding, that their country's customs authority will accept the item. All duties, taxes, clearance fees, and any costs arising from customs delays, seizures, re-export, returns, or loss in transit are the buyer's sole responsibility. Artemis assumes no liability for items refused entry, detained, or lost after export. We cannot ship ancient items to their country of origin (Egyptian to Egypt, Greek to Greece, etc.).
PAYMENT EXCEPTION: For clients not previously established with Artemis, payment for all gold, precious metal, and gemstone lots must be made by bank wire transfer or certified bank check/money order, without exception.
Item #
203004
- Condition: Very Good. Professionally repaired with restoration over break lines; all done expertly and difficult to detect. Two chips to rim and some light abrasions as shown. Otherwise, very nice presentation with good detail and rich earthen deposits to interior.
Accepted Forms of Payment:
ACH, American Express, Discover, MasterCard, Money Order / Cashiers Check, Personal Check, Visa, Wire Transfer
Shipping
Auction House will ship, at Buyer's expense
Artemis Fine Arts
You agree to pay a buyer's premium of 30% and any applicable taxes and shipping.
View full terms and conditions
| 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 |