AZTEK, ATLIXCO, Mexico, AD 1470 - 1521 - Lot 119

AZTEK, ATLIXCO, Mexico, AD 1470 - 1521 Rare single-handled libation vase with wide spout, adorned with two coffee bean outgrowths, featuring beautifully balanced and stylized forms Brown and coffee-red terra cotta Dimensions: H. 24 cm x W. 19 cm Provenance : Ex-Arte Primitivo Gallery, New York, USA Ex-Bonhams, New York, sale "African, Oceanic and Pre-Columbian Art", November 12, 2014, lot 124 Ex-Scott & Stuart Gentling collection, Fort Worth, Texas, USA, acquired before 1980 Ex-Peter G. Wray collection, Scottsdale, Arizona, USA, acquired in the 1970s Ex-Dr. David Harner collection, acquired in the 1960s or earlier Collection of Dr. Kenneth GRAHAM This vase, attributed to the Late Aztec period, reflects the excellence of Mesoamerican potters in the design of utilitarian and ritual forms. Libation vessels such as this one played a central role in religious ceremonies, particularly in rituals dedicated to fertility deities or natural forces. The Coatlapeque style, to which it is related, is distinguished by its lustrous glazes and rich colors, often obtained using high temperatures and metallic oxides. The combination of brown and red hues sometimes symbolized the duality between earth and blood, fundamental elements in Aztec cosmology. Its preservation, with its intact glaze and elegant forms, makes it a precious witness to the religious and artistic practices of pre-Columbian Mexico. Expert: Serge REYNES