Lot 1
Pre-Columbian, West Mexico, Colima, Protoclassic Period, ca. 100 BCE to 250 CE. Simple yet elegant in style and boasting sublime technique, a beautiful redware vessel depicting a male dwarf seated upon a flat base with hands placed on his curved, attenuated legs. The highly-burnished figure suffers from a severe case of dwarfism made evident by his dramatic forward-leaning posture and his malformed spine which almost protrudes through his back. A belt and loincloth are incised at his waist, and a squat neck supports a bulbous head. Incised coffee-bean-shaped eyes, a triangular nose, slightly-parted puffy lips, and tab-shaped ears comprise the dwarf's visage, and a bulbous brow gradually tapers to a flared spout rim. In Pre-Columbian times, the deformities of hunchbacked people were believed to be signs from the divine that they were in fact special, chosen individuals who were touched by the supernatural. Size: 7.8" L x 9.5" W x 12.9" H (19.8 cm x 24.1 cm x 32.8 cm)
Hunchback and dwarf individuals are very common in Colima sculpture - indeed, they heavily outnumber portrayals of women (and some have theorized that this relates to their relatively high social status in the society). Some scholars attribute the hunched back in West Mexican shaft tomb culture to a particular form of tuberculosis; the protruding shoulders of this example may be part of the figure's deformity or the result of an emaciated state.
Colima, located on Mexico's southwestern coast, was during this time part of the shaft tomb culture, along with neighbors to the north in Jalisco and Nayarit. In this culture, the dead were buried down shafts - 3 to 20 meters deep - that were dug vertically or near vertically through the volcanic tuff that makes up the geology of the region. The base of the shaft would open into one or more horizontal chambers with a low ceiling. These shafts were almost always dug beneath a dwelling, probably a family home, and seem to have been used as family mausoleums, housing the remains of many related individuals. This is a figure made to be placed inside those mausoleums, perhaps to mediate between the worlds of the living and the dead.
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
All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back.
A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids.
We ship worldwide and handle all shipping in-house for your convenience.
SHIPPING EXCEPTIONS: Due to customs clearance issues, we are unable to ship to Germany, Switzerland and Australia. If you live in Germany, Switzerland or Australia, you will need to provide an alternate shipping destination, or we will not be able to complete your purchase. In addition, please note that we are unable to ship ancient items back to the original country of origin (Egyptian to Egypt, Greek to Greece, etc.)
PAYMENT EXCEPTION: Unless a known customer of Artemis, payment for all gold / precious metal / gem lots must be made via Bank Wire Transfer or Certified Bank Check/Money Order, no exceptions.
#194110
- Condition: Professionally repaired with restoration and repainting over break lines and some small chips to visible break lines on rim. Areas of fire-darkening and some light surface wear commensurate with age as shown, but otherwise excellent presentation with nice, burnished surfaces.
Accepted Forms of Payment:
American Express, Discover, MasterCard, Visa
Shipping
Auction House will ship, at Buyer's expense
Artemis Fine Arts
You agree to pay a buyer's premium of up to 27.5% 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 |