**First Time At Auction**

Pre-Columbian, Central Mexico, Aztec, ca. 1400 to 1500 CE. A rare example of Aztec pottery, this pretty vessel presents a round body, a tall neck that flares into an ovoid spout with a slightly downturned lip to catch falling liquid, and a thick, strap-like handle. Around the shoulder is a well-executed decorative program of huge, many-petaled flowers in yellow and black surrounding a fantastical beast with jutting crests and feathers. A profusion of smaller flowers surrounds these three main motifs. Otherwise the vessel is painted a dark, earthy red, with a lighter brown base. Size: 5.95" W x 8.5" H (15.1 cm x 21.6 cm)

Aztec pottery is some of the most difficult pottery to find, because the Spaniards destroyed so much of it during their conquest - and this example, with its sophisticated form and brilliant array of design motifs, is a particularly nice example. The Aztecs did not have the pottery wheel; hence, their vessels were created by hand. According to expert George C. Vaillant, they "built up their vessels with strips of clay, relying on their keen eye and sensitive fingers to achieve the desired shape." (The Aztecs of Mexico by George C. Vaillant, Pelican Books, 1950)

Provenance: ex-private T.S. collection, San Diego County, California, USA, acquired between 25 and 40 years ago

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#140602

Spout has been repaired. Old collection number written on the underside. Small losses to pigment, especially on the spout, but in general, the motifs are in very nice condition.