Pre-Columbian, Mesoamerican Formative Period, Guerrero State, Mexico, Xochipala culture, ca. 13th to 10th century BCE. A shallow grey-green stone basin with a rounded base and a thick body. The basin is smoothed on its interior and has a rougher texture on its exterior. This was obviously a difficult item to carve, given the hardness of the stone, its weight, and its size. Why might an ancient person have devoted so much time to making a basin like this? A common explanation is that they used stone basins for grinding hallucinogenic drugs taken during ceremonies, but this basin may have had other uses too. Large stone basins have been found outside of doors in the households of the archaeological site at San Jose Mogote, Oaxaca, for example, presumably for collecting rainwater; they have also been found as part of a hydraulic drain system at the Preclassic site of Cuetlajuchitlan, Guerrero. Perhaps this large bowl had a similar purpose. Size: 15.5" W x 2.6" H (39.4 cm x 6.6 cm)

Provenance: private Hawaii, USA collection; ex Butterfields

All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back.

A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids.

We ship worldwide to most countries and handle all shipping in-house for your convenience.

#131983

Surface wear and light deposits commensurate with age.