Lot 33

Lot of Eight Pre-Columbian Pottery Heads

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Lot 33
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Lot of Eight Pre-Columbian Pottery Heads
Lot of Eight Pre-Columbian Pottery Heads
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Lot of Eight Pre-Columbian Pottery Heads

Estimate: $400 - $600

Starting Bid: $175

(0 Bids)
by Artemis Fine Arts
June 25, 2026 9:00 AM MDT (In Progress)
Live Auction
686 S. Taylor Avenue
Suite 108
Louisville, CO, US 80027

Pre-Columbian, Mesoamerica and West Mexico, Multiple Cultures, ca. 300 BCE to 900 CE. A gathering of eight ceramic figurine head fragments representing the breadth and vitality of Pre-Columbian Mesoamerican coroplastic traditions, encompassing West Mexican shaft-tomb cultures of Jalisco, Colima, and Nayarit alongside likely Classic Veracruz and related Gulf Coast traditions. Each head is hand-modeled or mold-assisted in local earthenware, ranging from buff and red-orange to pale kaolin-slipped clay, with facial features rendered through pinching, applique, incision, and punctation. Headdresses, turbans, and rolled cranial wraps distinguish several examples, while others preserve traces of post-fire pigment. The group collectively illustrates the diversity of figural expression across Mesoamerica, from the intimate hand-built portraiture of the shaft-tomb tradition to the more schematized mold-made types of the Gulf Coast lowlands. An accessible entry point into Pre-Columbian ceramics, and a study group of genuine scholarly utility. Size of largest: 2.3" W x 3" H (5.8 cm W x 7.6 cm H)

Provenance: private Colorado, USA collection, acquired from Selkirk Auctions, St. Louis, Missouri, USA, 2024

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Item # 197207

  • Condition: Damaged. All are fragments with losses, chips, and abrasions in areas. Liberal remaining detail and scattered earthen deposits throughout.

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Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $299 $25
$300 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 $99,999 $5,000
$100,000 $199,999 $10,000
$200,000 + $20,000