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Backrest & Vessel for a Shaman, 200 BCE - 400 CE
West Mexico Shaft Tomb culture; Colima, Mexic…
Backrest & Vessel for a Shaman
Backrest & Vessel for a Shaman, 200 BCE - 400 CE
West Mexico Shaft Tomb culture; Colima, Mexic…
Backrest & Vessel for a Shaman, 200 BCE - 400 CE West Mexico Shaft Tomb culture; Colima, Mexico Ceramic and pigment; 10 1/4 × 6 3/4 × 14 1/2 in. F79.80.3 Gift of Mr. Lee Perkal, Perkal and Fields

Backrest & Vessel for a Shaman

ClassificationsFurnishings-Furniture
Culture West Mexican Shaft Tomb
Date200 BCE - 400 CE
Made AtColima, Mexico, Central America, North America
MediumCeramic and pigment
Dimensions10 1/4 × 6 3/4 × 14 1/2 in. (26 × 17.1 × 36.8 cm)
Credit LineGift of Mr. Lee Perkal, Perkal and Fields
Object numberF79.80.3
DescriptionInclined tripod "backrest" vessel with flattened upper surface and zoomorphic features on the underside. This vessel is sculpted with unusally complex detail, with mamiform forelegs, butterfly design tripod rounded body volumes, abbreviated "wings," eyes of a froglike nature and the pour spout serving as a mouth. The zoomorphic or frog-toad features of this vessel indicates its probable function in assisting the shaman who as acted as intermediary in the underworld. Burnished redware with black deposits. It may be related to the shamanic transformation theme.
On View
Not on view
Vessel in Form of a Dog Head, 200 BCE - 300 CE
Colima Shaft Tomb peoples; Colima, Mexico
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West Mexican Shaft Tomb
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Colima Shaft Tomb peoples; Colima, West Mexico
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