**First Time At Auction**

Latin America, Mexico, Mixtec culture, Post-Conquest period, ca. mid-16th century CE. A wonderful trio of copper bells, boasting distinct forms: a canine with pointed ears and a long snout, a monkey with delineated nostrils and sizeable ears, and the skull-like head of Tlaloc, a deity venerated in various parts of Mesoamerica who is associated with caring for land, making it fertile, and controlling rains. A spherical bell extends from the chin of each, allowing them to produce a lovely jingling sound when shaken - the bell of the canine head even possesses a petite clapper! The suspension loops on the top of each bell implies that they were intended to be worn perhaps on the human body or attached to another material. Size of largest (monkey): 1.8" W x 2.7" H (4.6 cm x 6.9 cm)

The Mixtec artisans were masters of metallurgy, surpassing other Mesoamerican cultures in craftsmanship. Metallurgy was introduced into the region around 900 CE. Mesoamericans used metals for ornamentation, though their tools and weaponry remained Neolithic. Many experts agree that Mixtec metal wares set the standard for Mesoamerican cultures.

Monkeys were prevalent in the Mesoamerican lowlands, with the two most common species being the howler monkey and the spider monkey. However, the monkeys depicted on hachas are highly stylized, abstracting the monkey's essential characteristics. Monkeys were represented often in various art forms, including stone pedestal sculptures, mushroom stones, architectural reliefs, ceramic figures, whistles, and effigy vessels, as well as hachas for the traditional ballgame.

Provenance: private Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA collection; ex-private Arkansas, USA collection, via descent in 2021; ex-private Florida estate, USA, acquired from the 1960s to 1970s

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#175976

Each bell has minor abrasions and light indentations, but otherwise intact and very good. Nice patina throughout.