Pre-Columbian, West Mexico, Colima, Postclassical Period, ca. 100 BCE to 250 CE. An adorable redware pottery dog vessel, one of the most petite we have ever seen! Hand-built with four short legs supporting his wide portly body, and covered with a lustrous red-slipped finish. The upturned tail functions as the spout and the head is raised from a short neck. The puppy's face has incised circular eyes, nostrils, and a partially opened mouth. Two pointed ears perk up from both sides and add alertness to this guardian figure. A classic Colima dog created by this shaft tomb culture to accompany the deceased in the afterlife. While this pup might be pintsized, it is certainly mighty in symbolism and served as an endearing companion for the Colima peoples. Size: 6.25" L x 4" W x 3.125" H (15.9 cm x 10.2 cm x 7.9 cm)

Scholars know of at least two types of Colima dogs, one to be fattened up and ritually sacrificed or eaten and one to serve as a watchdog and healer of the ill. This plump hairless canine known as a Chichi or Escuintla is thought to be related to the Chihuahua or Mexican Hairless also known as the Xoloitzcuintle. The Xolo dog was named for the deity Xolotl, the God of the Underworld, and believed to guide the deceased as they journeyed to the afterlife. Colima vessels such as this one were buried in shaft tombs to protect the deceased and provide sustenance for eternity.

Provenance: ex-private Tennessee, USA collection; ex-Arte Primitivo, 2016

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