**First Time At Auction**

Pre-Columbian, Mexico, Oaxaca, Zapotec culture, Monte Alban, ca. 100 BCE to 200 CE. A striking pottery head fragment wearing the buccal mask of Cocijo, god of corn, with a headdress comprised of the complex glyph "C" below three cobs of maize. Flanked by two sizable ears with annular earspools, the intriguing character displays a frowning mouth, a round nose, and two incised eyes. Size: 3.875" W x 6" H (9.8 cm x 15.2 cm)

The Zapotec, like many pre-Columbian civilizations, placed clay effigies into burials, some in the form of urns or vessels, others simply figural. Who are the figures depicted like this one, and what was their purpose? They may represent the deities themselves, but more likely, they seem to represent ancestors or shamans impersonating gods, but may even represent spirits.

Provenance: ex-old private New England collection, acquired in the 1970s; ex-private Ohio, USA collection, acquired in the 1960s

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#162457

Fragment of a larger piece. Losses to proper right side of headdress, right ear, and tip of nose. Expected nicks/chips and abrasions throughout with some softening of detail, all commensurate with age. Otherwise, excellent with lovely earthen deposits in recessed areas.