Tripod Jar with Alligator Effigy Legs
Artist
Unknown
Datecirca 400–800
MediumCeramic with orange slip paint
Dimensionsheight: 11 3/8 in. (28.9 cm)
height (at widest point): 8 1/4 in. (21 cm)
diameter (rim): 4 in. (10.2 cm)
height (at widest point): 8 1/4 in. (21 cm)
diameter (rim): 4 in. (10.2 cm)
ClassificationsCeramics
Credit LineGift of Dr. Clifton F. Mountain and Mrs. Marilyn T. Mountain
Object number96.4.17
On View
Not on viewWithout the use of a potter's wheel, pre-Columbian ceramic artists built their vessels from coils of clay, creating finely articulated shapes. The brown slip covering this vessel was burnished with a smooth stone until the surface shone. Modeled details embellished the design, like the tripod legs in the shape of alligators with birdlike heads. Such animals may refer to ancient myths and religious beliefs.Exhibition HistoryRaleigh, NC, North Carolina Museum of Art, "Objects of Desire: The Museum Collects, 1994-2004," July 18, 2004-February 27, 2005.
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