Pre-Columbian, West Mexico, Colima, ca. 300 BCE to 300 CE. Among the finest and the largest that we have ever seen, a beautiful redware vessel of an overall gourd-like form with four peyote buttons delineated in high relief adorning the shoulder and leading to a graceful curved upper body that in turn leads to a dramatically flared rim - all upon a hemispheric lower body - as if sitting in a 'bowl' - with a flat, stable bottom. The peyote blossom is associated with drug use, which we believe was ritually practiced in Colima by shamans. Perhaps this bowl graced the tomb of such an individual or held an offering of the plant. So stunning, covered with magnificent manganese blooms, and replete with cultural associations. Size: 10.5" W at widest x 8.625" H (26.7 cm x 21.9 cm)

Colima, located on Mexico's southwestern coast, was during this time part of the shaft tomb culture, along with neighbors to the north in Jalisco and Nayarit. In this culture, the deceased were buried down shafts - ranging from 3 to 20 meters deep - that were dug vertically or near vertically through the volcanic tuff that makes up the geology of the region. The base of the shaft would open into one or more horizontal chambers with a low ceiling. These shafts were almost always dug beneath a dwelling, probably a family home, and seem to have been used as family mausoleums, housing the remains of many related individuals. Vessels like this one were placed in the tombs in order to hold offerings.

Provenance: private collection of Dr. Evan Maurer, a former Curator of the Minneapolis Art Institute (USA)

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#132110

Nicks to the rim, but otherwise excellent. Nice root marks visible within. Covered with manganese blooms.