Lot 31, Auction 4/12/2026: Large Mississippian Pottery Bowl – Lugged Rim

$650.00

In stock

Native American, Southeastern United States, Mississippian culture, ca. 800 to 1600 CE. A commanding earthenware bowl of generous scale, its broad, rounded body crowned by a rhythmic procession of raised lugs that encircle the rim like quiet sentinels. The vessel’s hemispherical form rests on a subtly curved base, its surface bearing the soft, mottled tones of earth and fire – warm browns and smoky grays that speak to its passage through an open firing environment. Hand-built using coiling techniques and carefully smoothed, the bowl reveals a tactile surface with visible inclusions and subtle irregularities, hallmarks of Mississippian ceramic practice. The evenly spaced lugs, pinched and applied along the rim, may have served both functional and symbolic roles – providing grip or attachment points, while also creating a visual cadence that animates the otherwise restrained form. Size: 11.3″ Diameter x 8″ H (28.7 cm x 20.3 cm)

Such large vessels were integral to communal life, likely used in the preparation and serving of food during feasts that reinforced social bonds and ceremonial cycles within Mississippian societies. The scale and simplicity of the form suggest utility balanced with quiet authority, an object made not for display alone but for participation in daily and ritual life. A vessel of both presence and purpose, this bowl embodies the enduring dialogue between form, function, and community in the ancient American Southeast.

Condition: Repaired from two large pieces with chipping along visible break line in areas and resurfacing on other areas of break line. Areas of chipping, nicks, and abrasions as shown, all commensurate with age. Otherwise, very nice with scattered earthen deposits.

Provenance: private Colorado, USA collection; ex-Denver, Colorado, USA collection; ex-private New York, USA collection, acquired in November 2013

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