Chupicuaro Pottery Tripod & Costa Rican Ladle w/ Hand (Auction 2026-06-05, Lot 62A)

$321.25

Pre-Columbian, Central Mexico, Chupicuaro, ca. 500 BCE to 300 CE; Central America, Costa Rica, ca. 800 to 1200 CE. A group of two Pre-Columbian pottery vessels, each representing a distinct regional tradition. The first is a red-slipped Chupicuaro tripod bowl, formed with a shallow, flaring profile and three pointed, hollow legs. These legs originally functioned as rattles, a characteristic feature in Chupicuaro ceramic design, though they no longer produce sound. The surface shows the warm red tones and simple banded detailing that define the style, along with wear and mineral deposits consistent with age. The second vessel is a Costa Rican ladle with a round bowl and a sculptural handle shaped as a human arm terminating in a clenched fist. The handle is hollow and functions as a rattle that still sounds when shaken. A long vertical slot and small openings at the wrist and elbow articulate the arm’s form, blending figural modeling with utility. Size of larger (tripod): 9″ Diameter x 3.8″ H (22.9 cm x 9.7 cm)

Together, the vessels highlight two different approaches to ceramic design within the Pre-Columbian world: the geometric simplicity and rhythmic sound-making of Chupicuaro work, and the sculptural inventiveness of Costa Rican artisans.

Provenance: private Colorado, USA collection; tripod: acquired April 2024; ex-Joshua Kodner Auction, Dania Beach, Florida, USA; hand: acquired April 2024; ex-Caza Sikes, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; ex-collection of Ann M. Meranus, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA

Condition: Both have been repaired with some chipping, infill, and minor losses along visible breaklines. Areas of restoration to rim of ladle. Some nicks and abrasions to surface as shown. Ladle still rattles; tripod missing clappers. Otherwise, both present nicely with scattered mineral deposits.