Two Acrobats Effigy Vessel
Artist
Unknown
Datecirca 200 BCE–300 CE
MediumCeramic with red slip paint
Dimensions8 1/4 x 11 3/4 x 6 1/2 in. (21 x 29.8 x 16.5 cm)
ClassificationsCeramics
Credit LineGift of Mr. and Mrs. Mace Neufeld
Object numberG.73.20.4
On View
Not on viewVessels created as anecdotal sculptures are typical of Colima art, although it is not always possible to know the meaning of the anecdote. This vessel could be interpreted as a depiction of sexual intercourse. Another possibility is that it represents acrobatic flips that are part of the process of the transformation of a shaman (a religious practitioner with magical powers) into a spiritual state. Modern-day Huichol shamans, who likely are descended from the pre-Columbian people of Colima, often do back flips as they are going into trance.Published References"Recent Acquisitions," (exhibition catalogue) North Carolina Museum of Art Bulletin 12, no. 3 (March 1974), cat. no. 202.
Exhibition HistoryRaleigh, NC, North Carolina Museum of Art, "Recent Acquisitions," June 16-August 18, 1974, cat. no. 202. Object Rights Statement
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