A good Colima Redware seated Dog, ca. 250 BCE - 100 CE

A good pottery effigy of a seated dog, with defined musculature, pump belly, upcurled tail, and a good burnished surface combining shades of orange and red. The dog's head is held high, the sculpted ears pointed and alert, the eyes and mouth incised, and the snout naturalistically modeled. There is a wide tapered spout at the top of the head.

The impression conveyed by the dog is that in life, it probably was loved and cared for as a pet; perhaps the effigy, in turn, served as a comforting companion for the soul of the deceased. To the ancient peoples of Mesoamerica, dogs symbolized death and the journey to the afterlife. From seventy-five to ninety percent of the shaft-and-chamber tombs in Colima contain ceramic dogs. The preHispanic belief in Xolotl, the dog of the netherworld, may explain the ritual interment of ceramic or actual dogs. 

Medium: Terracotta

Dimensions: Height: 11 1/8 inches (28.3 cm), Length: 14 inches (35.5 cm)

Condition: A 1” spout rim chip, some restoration to both ears, left front leg cleanly reattached, head reattached, and body repaired from a few large original pieces with restoration over the break lines. Overall scattered mineral deposits, in good condition overall.

Provenance: George and Julianne Alderman, Baltimore, MD, private collection acquired mid 1960s to mid 1990s.