Pre-Columbian, West Mexico, ca. 300 BCE to 300 CE. This brilliant vermillion pottery vessel is in the form of a wide, voluminous squash with a body that is stylistically segmented with smooth, fine vertical ribbing, with a boldly flaring spout, and all supported by three legs in the form of parrots, birds prized for their feathers among the ancients of America. Each avian form is defined with incised and pierced ovoid eyes, curved beaks, and incised and modeled wings upon a plump body that resolves to a tapered tail. The slipped and burnished surface is truly magnificent. Moreover, art imitates life in this ceramic vessel! After all, the indigenous of Mexico used hollowed gourds for storing and serving food and drink. Furthermore, iconographically this piece is quite poignant as squashes and parrots were both symbols of fertility and abundance. A stunning redware finish with areas of scattered root marks and numerous manganese blooms. Larger and finer than most! Size: 13.375" W x 9.875" H (34 cm x 25.1 cm)

Provenance: private New York, USA collection (begun in 1966); ex Lands Beyond Gallery; ex Sotheby's March 2005

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#151393

Professionally repaired from several large pieces with restoration over the break lines (most repairs to rim and parrot legs). Minor surface wear/abrasions to high-pointed areas commensurate with age. Nice scattered manganese deposits.