Colima Stone Metate – Miniature Grinding Stone (Auction 2026-06-05, Lot 44)

$289.13

Pre-Columbian, West Coast Mexico, Colima, ca. 300 BCE to 300 CE. A petite stone metate or grinding stone carved from a coarse tan stone and raised on four short legs with small face emerging from front. The rectangular grinding surface is slightly concave from use, while the underside retains a roughly worked texture typical of utilitarian grinding implements. Metates were essential household tools throughout ancient Pre-Columbian cultures, used primarily for grinding maize and other foodstuffs into meal. Examples of smaller scale such as this may have served for light domestic use, preparation of pigments or herbs, or possibly as symbolic or ritual objects. Compact in form yet evocative of daily life in ancient Central America, the piece reflects the enduring importance of maize preparation in Pre-Columbian societies. Size: 6.3″ L x 3″ W x 2.1″ H (16 cm x 7.6 cm x 5.3 cm)

Provenance: private Sheffield, Massachusetts, USA collection, by inheritance, collected 1970’s

Condition: Good. Weathering to surface with nicks and abrasions as shown. Small chip to corner of handle. Otherwise, intact and very nice with rich earthen deposits throughout.