{"title":"Colima Pottery","description":"\u003cp\u003eAuthentic Colima pottery from West Mexico, 300 BC to AD 300: redware dogs, figures, incense burners and effigy vessels.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eColima is the southernmost of the three states, with Jalisco and Nayarit, whose ancient peoples buried their dead in deep shaft tombs cut through the volcanic soil. The pottery placed in those tombs is the most naturalistic in ancient Mexico. Colima potters worked in a burnished red slip and modeled what they saw: dogs, parrots, armadillos, frogs and conch shells, drummers and seated women, often as hollow vessels with a spout at the back. The plump dogs are the best known. They are usually taken to be the hairless breed raised for food and believed to guide the dead to the underworld, and a dog was placed in most tombs.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eEach entry gives the form, size and condition and states provenance where it is known. Every piece is guaranteed authentic and comes with a certificate of authenticity.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"fine-large-colima-pottery-parrot-vessel","title":"Fine Large Colima Pottery Parrot Vessel","description":"\u003cp\u003e West Coast, Mexico, Circa 100 BC. to 200 AD.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA large deeply globular vase with flat rim and the vase stands on three lovely parrot legs, each with wings folded and tail feathers at the back; painted overall in deep reddish brown. \u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eSize 14 inches Diameter x 11 inches H.\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eIntact and excellent mineral staining. Massive and impressive in person.\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eProvenance: Ex. private Poway California Collection.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Art for Eternity","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45546689462586,"sku":"11551","price":5000.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0775\/5120\/6714\/files\/11551aa.jpg?v=1688512808"},{"product_id":"colima-pottery-gadrooned-vessel-with-dog-heads","title":"Colima Pottery Gadrooned Vessel with Dog Heads","description":"A choice Pre-Columbian terracotta tripod vessel, West Coast Mexico, Colima culture (Comala phase), dating to circa 100 BC to 250 AD. Masterfully hand-modeled in the form of a deeply ribbed pumpkin or squash, the compressed globular body is defined by prominent, rhythmic vertical fluting beneath a cylindrical neck and wide, everted flat rim. The vessel is raised upon three hollow sculptural supports naturalistically modeled as the heads of indigenous hairless dogs (or coatis), each terminal oriented downward with the tapered snout resting directly on the ground surface to form the tripod base. The animal supports are delicately detailed with rounded ears in relief, incised circular eyes, and nostrils, imbuing the vessel with zoomorphic reverence characteristic of West Mexican funerary effigies.   The entire surface is enveloped in a rich, burnished red-brown slip, enhanced by extensive areas of dark manganese dendrites and ancient calcified mineral staining that highlight the contours of the fluting. Measuring approximately 9 inches in height (22.86 cm H.), 11 inches in bowl diameter (27.94 cm Dia.), with a maximum width across the tripod base of 12 inches (30.48 cm W.). Repaired from ancient breaks with stable, discreet restoration along the break lines as documented on the original gallery record, surviving in overall excellent and imposing condition with striking visual presence.   Provenance: Acquired from the renowned André Emmerich Inc. gallery, 41 East 57th Street, New York, on October 13, 1970 (Catalogue No. T-526) by prominent collectors Dr. Aaron H. and Rosa Esman, New York; accompanied by a copy of the original 1970 André Emmerich purchase invoice","brand":"Art for Eternity","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48111901311290,"sku":"16108","price":2450.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0775\/5120\/6714\/files\/16108blu.jpg?v=1712266984"},{"product_id":"elaborate-colima-pottery-janiform-incensario","title":"Elaborate Colima Pottery Janiform Incensario","description":"\u003cp\u003eWest Mexico, Ca. 200 BC to 300 AD.  \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBuff clay high status male shaman figures or deities standing back to back, under a large elaborate radiating spiky arched handle extending to top. Powerful abstracted features, perhaps suggesting animal like attributes.  The heads are open back to back for a chamber between to burn copal or incense.   Good deposits. \u003cbr\u003eSize: 13 inches H. Expertly repaired.  \u003cbr\u003eEx Florida Private Coll. T.G., a noted collector and artist.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Art for Eternity","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51104289358138,"sku":"15486","price":1895.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0775\/5120\/6714\/files\/15486b.jpg?v=1743799918"},{"product_id":"colima-redware-standing-dog","title":"Colima Redware Standing Dog","description":"\u003cp\u003eWest Mexico,  Protoclassic Period,  ca. 100 B.C. to A.D. 250\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRedware pottery standing dog in an alert attitude, having a rear tail spout, perked ears and a small incised toothy mouth and almond eyes. Nicely delineated shoulder blades and exposed backbone.  Overall strong mineral deposits and root marks,  intact. Size: 7-5\/8 inches H. x 12 inches Length.  This lively dog is a representation of the hairless dogs used in ancient Colima as pets, providers of warmth, and sources of sustenance. Dogs also played an important role in the transportation of souls to the afterlife.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFrom the estate of Dr. William K. Emerson (1925 – 2016), NYC.  Dr. Emerson was Curator Emeritus at the American Museum of Natural History for four decades. Bill got his PhD at UC Berkeley before moving to NYC in 1955. Over a distinguished career he discovered and classified more than 100 species of mollusks on numerous voyages into the Pacific, published six books and 100 plus articles. Bill retired in 1995 as Chair of the Department of Invertebrates. He was an avid collector of pre-Columbian art throughout the 60s and 70s.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Art for Eternity","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51930385449274,"sku":"17035","price":1850.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0775\/5120\/6714\/files\/17035bl_7f7765c0-e4fd-484e-9fd3-5d670e3535eb.jpg?v=1758823066"},{"product_id":"colima-pottery-redware-dog-reclinatorio","title":"Colima Pottery Redware Dog Reclinatorio","description":"\u003cp\u003eWest Mexico,  Protoclassic, ca. 100 B.C. to A.D. 250\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA large hollow redware pottery  effigy of a dog with a flat back, most likely used as a headrest. The  abstract form has a stylized body with firmly planted legs and head turned sideways. A long spout protrudes atop. Excellent red surface with several areas of strong mineral deposits\u003cbr\u003eSize: 7-1\/2”H. x 7-3\/4”W.  \u003cbr\u003eProvenance:   Collection of Justin Kerr, NYC. Acquired mostly 1970 through the 1980’s.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Art for Eternity","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52963372564794,"sku":"17182","price":2000.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0775\/5120\/6714\/files\/17182blu.jpg?v=1769981471"},{"product_id":"colima-pottery-conch-shell-trumpet","title":"Colima Pottery Conch Shell Trumpet","description":"\u003cp\u003eWest Mexico, Protoclassic, 100 B.C.to A.D. 250 AD.    \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLarge true to life and naturalistic painted pottery conch shell form trumpet, having a mottled cream-tan ground with scattered areas of strong mineral deposits.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 0.875rem;\"\u003eSize: 11”L. x 5-1\/2”W. A 3\/8” probe hole on one side, otherwise intact. A nice example.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eProvenance:   Private Southwestern collection. Ex. Meza Family collection, Whittier, CA., acquired in the 1960’s.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Art for Eternity","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":53018449248570,"sku":"17211","price":1100.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0775\/5120\/6714\/files\/17211blu.jpg?v=1770914058"},{"product_id":"colima-pottery-redware-seated-dog-vessel","title":"Colima Pottery Seated Dog Vessel","description":"\u003cp class=\"my-2 [\u0026amp;+p]:mt-4 [\u0026amp;_strong:has(+br)]:inline-block [\u0026amp;_strong:has(+br)]:pb-2\"\u003eWest Mexico, Protoclassic Period, ca. 100 B.C. – A.D. 250\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"my-2 [\u0026amp;+p]:mt-4 [\u0026amp;_strong:has(+br)]:inline-block [\u0026amp;_strong:has(+br)]:pb-2\"\u003eA burnished red-brown pottery effigy vessel modeled as a seated dog with a flared cylindrical spout rising from the top of the head. The animal is portrayed in a lively, naturalistic posture with a plump, rounded body, perked triangular ears, expressive puffy eyes, a small applied nose, and an incised crosshatched mouth baring teeth in a characteristic grin. A short, curled tail projects from the rear. The surface retains a well-preserved red-brown slip with overall strong mineral deposits and white root marks consistent with prolonged underground burial. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"my-2 [\u0026amp;+p]:mt-4 [\u0026amp;_strong:has(+br)]:inline-block [\u0026amp;_strong:has(+br)]:pb-2\"\u003eSize: 7-1\/4 in. H. x 9-1\/2 in. L. (18.4 x 24.1 cm)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"my-2 [\u0026amp;+p]:mt-4 [\u0026amp;_strong:has(+br)]:inline-block [\u0026amp;_strong:has(+br)]:pb-2\"\u003eThis engaging vessel is a representation of the Xoloitzcuintli, the hairless dog native to Mesoamerica, which held a multivalent role in ancient Colima society — cherished as a household companion, valued as a source of warmth on cold nights, and raised as a food source. In funerary belief, dogs served as psychopomps, guiding the souls of the deceased on the perilous journey through the underworld to Mictlán. The plump, well-fed body of this example suggests an animal of some standing within the household, and the vessel form — with its functional spout — indicates the piece was intended as a grave offering to accompany and sustain the dead.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"my-2 [\u0026amp;+p]:mt-4 [\u0026amp;_strong:has(+br)]:inline-block [\u0026amp;_strong:has(+br)]:pb-2\"\u003eDog effigies are among the most recognizable and sought-after products of the Colima shaft-tomb tradition, and this example displays the vigorous modeling, expressive character, and warm burnished surface that distinguish the finest Colima redware.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-editorial font-bold mb-2 mt-4 [.has-inline-images_\u0026amp;]:clear-end text-base first:mt-0\" id=\"provenance\"\u003eProvenance:   Estate of Dr. William K. Emerson (1925–2016), New York City; acquired in the 1960s–1970s. Dr. Emerson served as Curator Emeritus at the American Museum of Natural History for four decades. He received his Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley before joining AMNH in 1955, where he rose to Chair of the Department of Living Invertebrates, discovered and classified over 100 species of mollusks on numerous Pacific expeditions, and published six books and more than 100 articles. He retired in 1995. Dr. Emerson was an avid collector of pre-Columbian art throughout the 1960s and 1970s\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Art for Eternity","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":53309737566522,"sku":"17024","price":1250.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0775\/5120\/6714\/files\/17024blu.jpg?v=1776007831"},{"product_id":"colima-seated-mother-child-anecdotal-figure-1","title":"Colima Seated Mother \u0026 Child Anecdotal Figure","description":"\u003cp\u003eWest Mexico,  Protoclassic, ca. 100 B.C. to A.D. 250\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA tender seated mother-and-child effigy modeled in buff clay, the woman shown cross‑legged with gently rounded limbs, supporting a small infant on her lap. She wears a low, wrapped headband or cap and a simple collar, her long hair falling in two thick tresses down the back. The oval face is framed by applied coffee‑bean eyes and small pendant ears, with a straight nose and pursed lips lending a serene expression. The infant is cradled protectively in the mother’s arms; an intimate depiction of maternal care characteristic of West Mexican shaft‑tomb sculpture.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSeated mother with child depictions serve nurturing or protective roles, likely linked to fertility and renewal in mortuary contexts. Such figures are typically recovered from deep shaft tombs where they were placed as companions or guardians for the deceased\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSize: 3-7\/8 inches H. \u003cbr\u003eProvenance: Private Nevada collection. Ex. Dr. David Harner collection, Arkansas, 1950’s - 1960’s. collection  \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Art for Eternity","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":53588904018234,"sku":"17291","price":425.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0775\/5120\/6714\/files\/17291z.jpg?v=1781110600"},{"product_id":"colima-blackware-frog-effigy-bowl","title":"Colima Blackware Frog Effigy Bowl","description":"\u003cp\u003eProtoclassic Period, ca. 200 BCE–300 CE\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHand modeled in dark, heavily burnished earthenware fired to a deep blackware finish through reduction firing, the low, compressed bowl form encircled by a fluted collar band and set with a modeled frog's head projecting from the rim, its haunches and forelimbs rendered in low relief around the shoulder as though the amphibian were caught mid-crouch beneath the vessel's broad girth. The interior retains a wide, gently sloping floor consistent with use as a serving or ritual offering vessel, while the exterior shows the characteristic soft sheen and micro-crazing of long burial, with scattered calcareous encrustation and mineral deposits typical of West Mexican shaft-tomb contexts.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFrog and toad imagery recurs throughout Colima iconography as an emblem of fertility, water, and transformation, and the choice to integrate the effigy into the vessel's rim and body rather than as a free-standing figure reflects a well-established Colima convention of animating utilitarian forms. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSize 9-1\/4 in. (23.5 cm)  width x 3-1\/2 in. (8.9 cm) height\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e Condition: Intact with only minor surface abrasion and no evident restoration, the blackware surface retaining strong luster across the rim and shoulder.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eComparable frog effigy vessels from Colima are held in the Michael C. Rockefeller Memorial Collection at the Metropolitan Museum of Art (accession no. 1979.206.332) and in the collection of the Saint Louis Art Museum (object no. 172:1972), both affirming the enduring popularity of the amphibian motif in West Mexican ceramic art. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003eEx Doral FL Collector.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Art for Eternity","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":53968372957498,"sku":"17840","price":1100.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0775\/5120\/6714\/files\/17840aa.jpg?v=1787860496"},{"product_id":"colima-pottery-redware-armadillo-vessel","title":"Colima Pottery Redware Armadillo Vessel","description":"West Mexico,  Protoclassic,  ca. 100 B.C. to A.D. 250 \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThis rare hollow-molded redware zoomorphic effigy vessel depicts a stout armadillo standing firmly on four tapered, conical legs, an inflated, domed carapace framed by a distinct, flanged perimeter rim that rests low over the creature's flanks. Its alert mammalian head features pricked, triangular ears, incised coffee-bean eyes, and a tapered snout with a subtle incised mouth. The body serves as the hollow liquid chamber, with a wide, flared spout integrated seamlessly into the upturned, flattened tail. The surface exhibits classic diagnostic signs of shaft-tomb interment, including scattered black dendritic manganese blooms, light mineral crusting, and soft burial patina across the burnished planes.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn West Mexican funerary traditions, such effigies served as vital grave furnishings deposited in subterranean shaft-and-chamber tombs to accompany elite ancestors into the underworld. While the creature is traditionally cataloged as an armadillo due to its low-slung, burrowing posture and protective dorsal carapace, scholars frequently interpret these figures as complex mythical or symbolic composites—most notably a dog wearing or emerging from a carapace. In Mesoamerican cosmology, subterranean and amphibious creatures such as armadillos, dogs, and turtles were revered as potent liminal entities and psychopomps capable of navigating the watery layers of the underworld. The creature's smooth, abstracted treatment strips away superfluous detail, emphasizing volume, vitality, and architectural tension characteristic of the finest Comala-phase master potters.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMuseum Parallels\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York), Accession No. 1978.412.18: A celebrated Colima redware vessel depicting an armadillo\/dog effigy with a domed, flanged shell and tail spout, demonstrating comparable Comala-phase burnishing, sculptural inflation, and anatomic modeling.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eLos Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), Accession No. M.86.296.79: A Comala-phase zoomorphic effigy vessel cataloged within the Proctor Stafford Collection, illustrating a closely related quadrupedal armadillo-type vessel with flared tail spout and comparable surface manganese oxidation.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMuseo Amparo (Puebla, Mexico), Collection Object No. 52 22 002 018: A Protoclassic Colima zoomorphic container featuring a similar shelled effigy supported on four stout legs, highlighting the ritual and symbolic role of burrowing fauna in ancient West Mexican tomb deposits.  intact. Size:  12 inches Length.  Provenance Brooklyn NY Decedent. ","brand":"Art for Eternity","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":53996355158330,"sku":"17791","price":3450.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0775\/5120\/6714\/files\/100202.jpg?v=1788471249"},{"product_id":"pre-columbian-colima-seated-drummer-with-ocarina-headdress","title":"Pre-Columbian Colima Seated Drummer with Ocarina Headdress","description":"West Mexico, Shaft Tomb Culture, ca. 300 BC – 300 AD\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eA charming and rare West Mexican terracotta figurine from the shaft tomb tradition, depicting a musician seated on the ground and intensely engaged in playing an upright cylindrical drum. The figure features traditional expressive facial features with coffee-bean eyes, a prominent nose, and parted lips, wearing a thick layered collar necklace and a specialized conical headdress engineered as an ocarina whistle. The dark manganese-mottled reddish-brown clay exhibits an authentic aged surface texture, complete with scattered rootlet marks and mineral encrustations testifying to its ancient burial.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eDimensions: Height: 3 5\/8 in. (9.2 cm)\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eProvenance: Los Angeles Collection","brand":"Art for Eternity","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54045736796474,"sku":"17907","price":325.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0775\/5120\/6714\/files\/100472.jpg?v=1789245214"},{"product_id":"pre-columbian-colima-standing-female-figure-with-body-adornment","title":"Pre-Columbian Colima Standing Female Figure with Body Adornment","description":"West Mexico, Shaft Tomb Culture, ca. 300 BC – 300 AD\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eA hand-modeled terracotta solid flat figure characteristic of the ancient shaft-tomb traditions of Colima. The figure is depicted in an authoritative frontal stance with arms outspread, wearing a raised fillet headdress or rolled headband above an expressive face featuring coffee-bean incised eyes, a prominent nose, and slightly parted lips. Adorned with a beaded torque necklace centered by an applied dual pendant, the figure also wears wrapped armbands above shortened, flaring arms with incised fingers. Most remarkable is the bold, dark painted decoration covering the hips and tapering legs, executed in dynamic, radiating geometric chevrons and linear stripes that vividly signify body paint, ritual tattooing, or ornate textile breeches. The warm reddish-buff clay ground exhibits delicate surface patination and scattered rootlet\/mineral encrustations acquired from centuries of burial in a subterranean shaft tomb.  \u003cbr\u003eDimensions: Height: 7 1\/2 in. (19 cm); taller with custom base.  Condition: Excellent ancient condition with no restoration or modern embellishment. Intact throughout, with minor age-appropriate surface abrasions, scattered mineral deposits, and remarkably crisp preservation of the dark painted geometric pigment.","brand":"Art for Eternity","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":67609875317050,"sku":"18037","price":385.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0775\/5120\/6714\/files\/100621.jpg?v=1790805832"}],"url":"https:\/\/howardnowes.com\/collections\/colima.oembed","provider":"Art for Eternity","version":"1.0","type":"link"}