Pre-Columbian Clay Bowl with Skull-and-Crossbones-Like Paint Remnants

Regular price $95.00

I'm not knowledgable enough about pre-Columbian pottery to identify where this bowl came from, but it was identified to me as Central American. I immediately fell in love with the remnants of painted decoration on it, which, as positioned in my first photo, suggests an excellent skull-and-crossbones sort of mask at center. (Or perhaps a cat with a very pointy chin!) And then a triangle pointing to the rim, with what looks a bit like a figure in silhouette inside it, arms pointing on the diagonal.) A rorschach test of a bowl, whatever the case! And just gorgeous color between the cream of the decoration and red of the clay, burnished on the exterior. Purchased from a favorite shop-treasure trove in NH. 

7 1/8" in diameter x 1 3/4" deep and in beautifully aged condition, surface wear but no significant chips or cracks, and a wonderful slightly irregular form to the bowl when viewed from the side, making the hand of its maker feel all the more present.