Lot 54A
Pre-Columbian, West Mexico, Michoacan; Chupicuaro, ca. 300 BCE to 300 CE; Central Mexico, Aztec, ca. 1300 to 1500 CE. A visually rich and culturally diverse grouping of three Pre-Columbian Mexican ceramic works brings together distinct regional traditions through form, surface, and function. United by earthen tones and tactile finishes, the ensemble offers a compact survey of ceramic innovation across western and central Mexico. The Michoacan jar is cylindrical in form and decorated with a bold bichrome zigzag design painted in iron-rich red against a pale buff ground. Carefully rendered chevrons and parallel lines wrap the vessel in rhythmic geometry, a visual language associated with regional identity and communal aesthetics. The slightly thickened rim and balanced proportions suggest use in storage or ritual presentation. Size of tallest: 6.1" Diameter x 6.5" H (15.5 cm x 16.5 cm)
The Chupicuaro tripod bowl rests on three hollow rattle legs, each once producing sound when moved, transforming the vessel into an object of both visual and auditory presence. Its rounded body and incised surface bands are characteristic of Chupicuaro ceramics, which often blurred the boundary between utilitarian and ceremonial roles. The rattles likely animated ritual movement, adding sound to gesture and offering.
Completing the group is an Aztec blackware lid, modeled as a low domed disk with stippled sides and small raised nodules around the perimeter. The dark, burnished surface contrasts strikingly with the lighter vessels, while the textured edge provides both visual interest and grip. Such lids were functional components of covered vessels, protecting contents while echoing the Aztec preference for tactile, worked surfaces. Together, these three pieces reflect the diversity of Pre-Columbian Mexican ceramic traditions, where regional styles, ritual function, and aesthetic clarity converge. The group offers a layered glimpse into daily life, ceremony, and artistic expression across centuries and cultures.
Provenance: private Colorado, USA collection; tripod and jar: ex-Arte Primitivo, New York, New York, USA
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#200076
- Condition: Tripod and lid have been repaired with break line visible. Jar has had repair to rim with chipping along visible break line and one stable hairline fissure extending vertically downward from rim. All have weathering to surfaces. Otherwise, nice presentations with good remaining decoration and scattered earthen and mineral deposits.
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