Pre-Columbian, West Mexico, Colima, 300 BCE to 300 CE. A cute little dog with a rotund body, sitting back on his short legs, with a short, curled tail and a spout rising from his head. Scholars know of at least two types of Colima dogs, one to be fattened up and ritually sacrificed or eaten and one to serve as a watchdog and healer of the ill. This plump hairless canine known as a Chichi or Escuintla is thought to be related to the Chihuahua or Mexican Hairless also known as the Xoloitzcuintle. The Xolo dog was named for the deity Xolotl, the God of the Underworld, and believed to guide the deceased as they journeyed to the afterlife. Colima vessels such as this one were buried in shaft tombs to protect the deceased and provide sustenance for eternity. Size: 12.3" L x 4.5" W x 9.5" H (31.2 cm x 11.4 cm x 24.1 cm)

Provenance: Ex-Private Southern CA collection

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#116914

Intact, with nice manganese staining giving it a rich archaeological surface.