**Originally Listed At $400**

Latin America, Mexico, ca. 19th to early 20th century CE. A delightful wooden chest of rectangular form with a hinged lid, all hand-painted with abstract and zoomorphic decoration in vibrant hues of scarlet, cobalt, emerald, and yellow. The front panel is painted and incised with the design of 2 confronting quetzal birds amongst 3 palm leaves, while parallel striations in undulating, zigzag, and fan-shaped forms embellish the side panels and lid. Size: 11.7" L x 21.5" W x 12.1" H (29.7 cm x 54.6 cm x 30.7 cm)

Pre-Columbian Mesoamerican civilizations have traditionally associated the resplendent quetzal bird with the sacred deity Quetzalcoatl. The ancient Aztecs and Maya believed that its iridescent green tail feathers symbolized spring plant growth and viewed the quetzal as the "god of the air" as well as a venerated symbol of goodness and light. Mesoamerican rulers wore headdresses comprised of quetzal feathers, which symbolically linked them to Quetzalcoatl. Since killing a quetzal was forbidden and considered a crime, instead, the bird was captured to pluck its tailfeathers, and then it was set free. Interestingly, the term for quetzal also means sacred or precious in several Mesoamerican languages.

Provenance: ex-private Bishop Family Trust collection, the Trust of the late Bill Bishop, a noted antiquarian with shops in Scottsdale, Arizona and Allenspark, Colorado, USA, acquired before 2010

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#173686

Missing part of latching mechanism and losses to surface of base. Two stable fissures to lid. Expected nicks, abrasions, and a few chips as shown. Otherwise, very nice with great remaining pigments.