**First Time At Auction**

Pre-Columbian, Ulua Valley, Honduras, Mayan, ca. 700 to 850 CE. A lovely polychrome pottery vessel, small but mighty given its rich iconography. On the exterior walls is a register featuring a bicephalic snake delineated in red, orange, and black and wrapped around the entire circumference. Below this, the exterior is further adorned by red and black striations on the orange ground. On the interior, is a register that features a pair of birds framed by red striations with a register of diagonal frets below. The existence of two snake heads on the serpent of this piece suggests that it represents the bicephalic serpent which was a signifier of high rank in various Pre-Columbian world views. Birds were believed to serve as messengers between humankind and the deities of the celestial realm. Size: 4.625" in diameter x 2" H (11.7 cm x 5.1 cm)

Provenance: private Leonard collection, Virginia, USA, acquired before 1979

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#142165

Chip to rim as shown. Surface wear with scuffs and abrasions as shown. Areas of mineral deposits on underside as well.