COLIMA POTTERY BIRD EFFIGY VESSEL

拍品描述

Pre-Columbian, West Mexico, Colima, Ca. 3rd century BC - 3rd century AD . >A whimsical yet deliberate sense of form shapes this pottery jar, modelled as a rounded bird whose body serves as the vessel chamber. The piece presents a raised head with a parted beak and a small ridged crest, giving the figure an expressive presence. Opposite the head, a short tail rises from the back of the vessel, balancing the bird's silhouette. The jar is built in burnished terracotta with a mottled surface of warm brown, red, and gray tones. Circular spots remain across the body, suggesting patterned plumage. A flared spout set into the bird's back establishes the vessel's function while reinforcing its sculptural identity. Colima potters favored animal effigies, and bird forms appear frequently in their ceramic traditions, perhaps connected to themes of fertility, agriculture, or sky symbolism. > >Size: 220mm x 160mm; Weight: 920g >Provenance: Private UK Collection; ex Private Colorado, USA collection; ex-private Los Angeles, California, USA collection; ex-major gallery, Beverly Hills, California, USA, primarily acquired between 1985 and 2005. > This item has been cleared against the Art Loss Register database and comes with a confirmation letter. >

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