Pre-Columbian, Costa Rica, San-Luis-Potosi, ca. 600 to 1100 CE. An iconographically rich lidded pottery incensario. Beyond the bowl and lid which are covered with multiple sharp nodes, is the jaguar pedestal, this mighty wild feline standing on all fours, his tail curled upward and connecting to the rim of the bowl serving as a handle, and his face emanating quite a personality with those applied bulging eyes framed by arched ears that meet in the middle to form a protruding, upturned nose, underscored by a full-lipped smiling mouth. His torso is slotted to allow smoke to flow freely. The lid features a seated simian creature with upraised knees, prominent genitalia and a pierced navel, a dynamic pose with his right arm reaching back to grab his long curly tail and his left hand placed upon his left knee; and finally that expressive visage with bulging eyes, small rounded ears, a wide nose, and open mouth. Rare to find, a two-part incensario, replete with a symbolic, aesthetic, and utilitarian value. Size: 8.25" L x 5.25" W x 9.875" H (21 cm x 13.3 cm x 25.1 cm)

Perhaps most interesting about this piece are the layers of meaning associated with its iconography. Jaguar imagery symbolized power and might throughout the Pre-Columbian world. Warriors, rulers, hunters, and shamans alike associated themselves with this king of beasts, the largest and most powerful feline in the New World. A nocturnal animal, the jaguar sleeps in caves and dark places and creeps quietly in the forest, evoking great mystery. Monkeys have always fascinated humankind, with their zany antics that seem to mirror and at times parody humans. Understanding simian creatures as mimics of human culture, most ancients of the Americas regarded the monkey as a mediary between man and the supernatural.

Provenance: Ex-Private Atlanta, GA collection, ex Vargas collection acquired 1960 to 1980

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#117951

Normal surface wear and slip losses. Lots of caliche. Repairs to ears of jaguar. Possible repairs to face of monkey, but may simply be slip losses. The lid is missing one node and shows loss to a point on one or two other nodes. Bowl shows wear and minor losses to nodes.