Mixtec Red-on-Cream Tripod Rattle Bowl

Pre-Columbian, Mexico, Mixtec. A shallow earthenware tripod bowl with a wide, flaring rim, set on three hollow, slightly bulbous feet that hold loose pellets. The feet still rattle when the bowl is moved. The interior has a pale cream slip painted in brick red. A plain central medallion is ringed by short radiating strokes, and seven arched, hatched lobes open outward from it like the petals of a rosette, probably a flower or solar motif. A band of vertical dashes, loops, and short bars runs below a red-painted lip. Vessels on rattle supports joined sound to service: whatever was presented in the bowl came with a soft clatter. This suggests a ceremonial or offering use, though such dishes may also have served at the table. Hollow rattle supports were common on Postclassic Mesoamerican serving vessels. Small clay pellets were sealed inside the feet before firing, so the dish made a sound whenever it was lifted or set down. Flowers and the sun were central images in Postclassic religious thought across central and southern Mexico, and both are linked to offerings, sacrifice, and the renewal of life. A rosette at the center of a serving dish fits easily within that tradition. Item # 205740

Estimate:£225.43

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