Pre-Columbian, Southern Mexico to Guatemala, Maya, Late Classic Period, ca. 550 to 900 CE. A collection of 5 miniature pottery vessels known as "poison jars," all of various forms including an adorable owl effigy and another with a zoomorphic head protruding from the shoulder. The blackware with a ribbed, globular form has red cinnabar pigment within recessed areas and inside the mouth. Traditionally, these petite vessels were known as "poison" or "medicine" bottles, in part because of their comparison to similar bottles used by other cultures, but further analysis suggests they may have had other uses. They are often found in the context of burials, filled with red pigment like cinnabar or hematite, but with the remains of other things underneath the pigment (as if they were used in life and then filled with pigment upon death). Their size indicates they held dear substances not required in large quantities such as poisons or medicines, but also perfume, tobacco, and ritual drugs like powdered mushrooms. Size of tallest: 2" Diameter x 2.75" H (5.1 cm x 7 cm)

Provenance: ex-Marc Amiguet Schmitt estate, Amiguet's Ancient Art, Evansville, Indiana, USA, acquired prior to January 1, 2010

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#173397

Intact without repairs or restoration. Minor chips to rims and surface abrasions. Remains of cinnabar and earthen deposits inside vessels