Colima
West Mexico
100 BC–250 AD
Ceramic
Height 11 1/2"; Length 17"
Provenance: Frederico Bermudez, Houston, acquired 1966
This large Colima redware dog stands on four legs with the head turned slightly and the mouth open to reveal a dark interior, with two upright ears and a high curling tail. The eye area is left in the natural clay ground, creating a pale oval contrast against the red-brown slip of the body, and the muzzle is rendered with a small snout and carefully modeled lips. The body is full and rounded with a burnished surface showing fine root marks and wear consistent with long burial.
The Colima dog is a recurring subject in West Mexican pre-Columbian ceramic production, associated with the hairless Xoloitzcuintli breed and its role as a guide for the dead in ancient Mesoamerican belief. At 17 inches in length this is a large example, and the piece carries documented pre-1970 provenance from Frederico Bermudez of Houston. The open mouth, upright ears, and curled tail give this figure an alert posture within the Colima dog corpus.
We ship free anywhere in the world, fully insured, packed by hand.
Colima
West Mexico
100 BC–250 AD
Ceramic
Height 11 1/2"; Length 17"
Provenance: Frederico Bermudez, Houston, acquired 1966
This large Colima redware dog stands on four legs with the head turned slightly and the mouth open to reveal a dark interior, with two upright ears and a high curling tail. The eye area is left in the natural clay ground, creating a pale oval contrast against the red-brown slip of the body, and the muzzle is rendered with a small snout and carefully modeled lips. The body is full and rounded with a burnished surface showing fine root marks and wear consistent with long burial.
The Colima dog is a recurring subject in West Mexican pre-Columbian ceramic production, associated with the hairless Xoloitzcuintli breed and its role as a guide for the dead in ancient Mesoamerican belief. At 17 inches in length this is a large example, and the piece carries documented pre-1970 provenance from Frederico Bermudez of Houston. The open mouth, upright ears, and curled tail give this figure an alert posture within the Colima dog corpus.
We ship free anywhere in the world, fully insured, packed by hand.
