Pre-Columbian, West Mexico, Colima, Protoclassic Period, ca. 100 BCE to 250 CE. A hollow, hand-built ceramic vessel in the form of a corpulent canine, one of the most famous of the classes of West Mexican shaft tomb culture artifacts. This dog vessel has a portly abdomen supported by four attenuated legs, a stocky neck, and a wide tail which doubles as the spout. The playful head boasts incised almond-shaped eyes, a conical snout, a naturalistic nose above an open, toothy mouth, and a pair of perky ears. Highly-burnished and covered in red slip, this is a wonderful example from ancient West Mexico! Size: 11" L x 4" W x 6.8" H (27.9 cm x 10.2 cm x 17.3 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.

A stylistically-similar, slightly-larger example hammered for $5,400 at Christie's, New York "Pre-Columbian Art" auction (sale 1837, May 23, 2007, lot 82): https://www.christies.com/lotfinder/lot/colima-dog-protoclassic-ca-100-bc--4916346-details.aspx?from=searchresults&intObjectID=4916346&sid=919173ed-7f56-4b70-aa4c-56f9a625abe0

Provenance: private southern California, USA collection, acquired in the 1970s to mid-1980s

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#140933

Back right leg and lower part of spout repaired with some light restoration, resurfacing, and overpainting along break lines. Minor nicks to legs, body, and head, with softening to some finer details, and light encrustations. Light earthen and manganese deposits as well as nice root marks throughout.