Pre-Columbian, West Mexico, Colima, ca. 300 BCE to 300 CE. A wonderful and cute example of one of the most famous Mesoamerican artifacts, the charming Colima dog. His seated body serves as a vessel, with a spout emerging from the top of his head. He has tiny legs and a short, upturned tail, with emphasis in the sculpture on his musculature. His head is large, with his human-like teeth bared in a grin and perky ears point upwards around the spout. Size: 10.5" L x 4.85" W x 11.25" H (26.7 cm x 12.3 cm x 28.6 cm)

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.

Provenance: ex-Americas Artifacts, Roswell, GA, USA; Ex-Private Georgia Collection; Ex-William and Carol Thibadeau, acquired 1960s through 1980s

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#117920

Restoration to tip of one ear and two small areas of rim of spout else intact, nice manganese blooms throughout.