Pre-Columbian, West Mexico, Colima, ca. 300 BCE to 300 CE. A beautiful example of one of the iconic West Mexican vessels - a Colima dog, seated, chubby, with perky ears and an upturned tail. He has wide eyes and a wonderfully detailed and life-like nose and mouth. You can imagine the person making this figure studying their own beloved pet as it looked up imploringly at whatever bowl of food they might have had resting near their work area. A wide spout with a sloped rim rises from the back of the dog's head. Red slip marks out the head and face of the dog, while a burnished orange-brown slip colors the body. Manganese staining over the body gives it an excellent aged patina, but the colors remain very bright. Size: 13.75" L x 5.85" W x 12.25" H (34.9 cm x 14.9 cm x 31.1 cm)

Scholars know of at least two types of Colima dogs, one to be fattened up and ritually sacrificed or eaten and one to serve as a watchdog and healer of the ill. This plump hairless canine known as a Chichi or Escuintla is thought to be related to the Chihuahua or Mexican Hairless also known as the Xoloitzcuintle. The Xolo dog was named for the deity Xolotl, the God of the Underworld, and believed to guide the deceased as they journeyed to the afterlife. Colima vessels such as this one were buried in shaft tombs to protect the deceased and provide sustenance for eternity.

Provenance: Ex-Berman collection acquired before 1975

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