Colima Terracotta Zoomorphic Vessel - PF.2446,Origin: Western Mexico,Circa: 100 BC to 250 AD,Dimensions: 5.25" (13.3cm) high x 9.25" (23.5cm) wide,Collection: Pre-Columbian,Style: Colima,Medium: Terracotta. This stunning anthropomorphic vessel is an impressive example of the art of the Ancient Mexico--representative of an art that has today assumed a recognizable and valuable place in the history of world art. Created by artists in the western region of Mexico, under the shadow of the 13,000-foot-high volcano, 'Colima," this exquisite pot is in the stylized form of an animal. Colima artists were masters at modeling clay into shapes and forms that related intimately to the natural world around them, and here we see an animal whose body creatively forms the bowl of a vessel. While the animal's four legs support the vessel, a delightful head and tiny tail project from opposite ends of the pot. Finely etched geometric patterns wrap around the exterior portion of the bowl, adding a stimulating, tactile quality to the vessel. At the same time, the burnished interior surface creates an appealing visual element by softly reflecting the rays of light that touch the surface. Truly an extraordinary work of art, this anthropomorphic vessel most ardently expresses the Ancient Colima artists' supreme ability to combine form and function in a unique and pleasing fashion.

Antiquities
Ancient Central America & Mexico