Lot 38

Veracruz Pottery Figure w/ Bitumen, TL Tested

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Lot 38
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Veracruz Pottery Figure w/ Bitumen, TL Tested
Veracruz Pottery Figure w/ Bitumen, TL Tested
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Veracruz Pottery Figure w/ Bitumen, TL Tested

Estimate: $400 - $600

Starting Bid: $150

(0 Bids)
by Artemis Fine Arts
August 7, 2026 9:00 AM MDT
Live Auction
686 S. Taylor Avenue
Suite 108
Louisville, CO, US 80027

Pre-Columbian, Mexico, Gulf Coast, Veracruz culture, ca. 15 BCE to 665 CE. A Classic-period Veracruz terracotta figure presents a serene human face mounted at the center of a body radiating six or more tapering limb-spurs outward in every direction, the whole silhouette less anatomical than cosmological. Modeled in smooth buff clay, the facial features, a broad nose, heavy-lidded eyes, and a composed mouth, are pressed with quiet confidence, while small applied pellets at the temples and collar zone suggest ear ornaments or insignia of ritual standing. Bold irregular patches of chapopotli, the naturally occurring Gulf Coast bitumen used as sacred pigment, adhesive, and incense throughout the Classic period, mark the face, shoulders, and upper limbs, their asymmetrical distribution suggesting the dappled hide of a supernatural being, ceremonial body paint, or zones of concentrated sacred potency. Size: 4.3" W x 6.5" H x 3.4" D (10.9 cm W x 16.5 cm H x 8.6 cm D); on included custom stand: 6.5" H (16.5 cm H)

The hollow reverse is a standard construction strategy in Gulf Coast figural ceramics, reducing thermal stress in complex multi-projection forms. The radiating limbs resist any simple anatomical reading, functioning instead as directional extensions that claim terrestrial, aquatic, and celestial axes simultaneously, a formal argument consistent with the hybrid, boundary-crossing supernatural figures that populate Gulf Coast iconography across the Classic period. Almost certainly a ritual or funerary deposit, the piece exemplifies the inventive figural tradition for which the Veracruz Gulf Coast is justly recognized.

Publication: This piece has been tested using thermoluminescence (TL) analysis and has been found to be ancient and of the period stated. A full printed and bound report will accompany the item upon purchase.

Provenance: private Stone Mountain, Georgia, USA collection; ex-estate of Lew Deadmore, Atlanta, Georgia, USA, acquired in the 1970s

SHIPPING: We coordinate worldwide shipping in-house through specialist international forwarders experienced with fine art and antiquities customs manifests. International buyers must confirm, prior to bidding, that their country's customs authority will accept the item. All duties, taxes, clearance fees, and any costs arising from customs delays, seizures, re-export, returns, or loss in transit are the buyer's sole responsibility. Artemis assumes no liability for items refused entry, detained, or lost after export. We cannot ship ancient items to their country of origin (Egyptian to Egypt, Greek to Greece, etc.).

PAYMENT EXCEPTION: For clients not previously established with Artemis, payment for all gold, precious metal, and gemstone lots must be made by bank wire transfer or certified bank check/money order, without exception.

Item # 193700

  • Condition: Proper right leg has been reattached with break lines visible. Light weathering to surface, commensurate with age. Otherwise, very nice with good remaining pigments. TL holes to verso.

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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